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Lawyer Michael Avenatti Arrested In New York For Nike Extortion

Source: Spencer Platt / Getty

The arrest of Michael Avenatti shocked many before he was set to unleash a bombshell allegation that Nike was embroiled in some manner of scandal with high school and college athletes. Now, R. Kelly‘s attorney is using the moment to question Avenatti’s credibility regarding a brewing sex tape case.

TMZ reports:

R. Kelly’s attorney, Steve Greenberg, tells TMZ … now that Avenatti has been charged with extortion as well as bank and tax fraud, his credibility is now a centerpiece in the singer’s case — specifically, the circumstances surrounding how prosecutors obtained a key piece of evidence.

That evidence, of course, is a sex tape that Cook County investigators claim shows R. Kelly having sex with an underage girl, who’s alleged to be 14 years old. It’s what many believe to be a smoking gun against R. Kelly … and the catalyst that led to a 10-count indictment.

Greenberg says the issue of “chain of custody” — how Cook County got ahold of that tape via Avenatti — is now questionable. Greenberg strongly suggests the possibility the tape could’ve been altered before it got to prosecutors.

Sources connected to the case tell us that the man who handed the tape over to Avenatti is a whistle-blower who has a history of extorting R. Kelly.

The outlet adds that the man who produced the tape admitted to getting around $1 million from Kelly’s team to keep one of the reported two tapes from going public. According to Greenberg, the second tape was never handed in and there is only one supposedly out there under review.

Photo: Getty