Tommy Avakian is a drug dealer and the son of drug lord Nicky Avakian. Tommy was the boss of Nicky’s rings when Nicky was out of the country, with a much more modern approach than his father to keep the operations managed.
One of Tommy’s contacts in the sex party scene, Alexandra Shabtai, arranged for fellow drug dealer Dr. Eliza Glazer to partner with his operations. When she eventually wanted out, Tommy threatened her to no avail, then strangled her to death later.
When Tommy was had, he wanted a deal of witness protection to testify against Nicky. In turn, Nicky demanded the same deal regarding other criminals, the family duo having planned the move to get off on charges. The prosecution conned Tommy, saying they had a “witness” to his confession and the charges were back on with that “testimony”.
Under pressure, Tommy took the deal to turn state’s evidence and testify against Nicky. Nicky made a veiled threat against Tommy during the trial, but Tommy was imprisoned anyway. (L&O: “Oxymoron”)