Pedophile millionaire Jeffrey Epstein dodged harsh sentence by ratting out Bear Stearns execs

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https://nypost.com/2019/08/14/jeffr...laine-maxwell-claims-she-oversaw-the-process/

Jeffrey Epstein accuser sues gal pal Ghislaine Maxwell, claims she ‘oversaw the process’
By Priscilla DeGregory and Lia Eustachewich
August 14, 2019 | 8:16am | Updated

Jennifer Araoz
TODAY on NBC


Jeffrey Epstein accuser Jennifer Araoz sued the late pedophile’s estate and his gal pal Ghislaine Maxwell on Wednesday as part of the first wave of civil actions under the newly enacted Child Victims Act.

Araoz said she was just 15 when the financier raped her at his tony Manhattan townhouse.

“I am here because today is my first step toward reclaiming my power,” Araoz said on a conference call with reporters Wednesday morning. “While I am angry about Epstein’s death, my resolve is only strengthened. None of that is diminished simply because he chose to take his own life.”

Jennifer Araoz in an undated photo
TODAY on NBC


In her Manhattan Supreme Court suit, the Queens resident lists Epstein’s estate, his girlfriend and alleged madam Maxwell and three unidentified women she described as a “recruiter,” “secretary” and “maid” as defendants.

The complaint contains the same details that Araoz, now 32, divulged in a July interview. She claimed she was recruited at her performing arts high school at age 14 by a mysterious brunette and introduced to Epstein, who began giving her money.

After about a month of meetings, the hedge fund manager allegedly raped her during a massage in his “favorite room in the house,” the suit said.

“Araoz was petrified, felt trapped and didn’t know what to do, so she just did as she was told,” the suit said. “Epstein held her tightly and forcibly raped her.”

She is suing the three unidentified women, claiming they knew Epstein was a pedophile but did nothing to stop him.

Maxwell “identified and hired the recruiter on behalf of defendant Epstein to procure underage girls from Talent Unlimited High School and other schools, and oversaw the process that lead [sic] to the recruitment and grooming of Ms. Araoz,” the suit alleged.

“There are adults who worked close within orbit, who scheduled appointments with these girls, who hired recruiters, who worked directly with the pipeline of girls who were fed to him,” said Araoz’s lawyer Dan Kaiser. “They are all culpable.”

Kaiser said while Araoz never had direct contact with Maxwell, the lawyers are seeking to depose her.

More Epstein victims are expected to file lawsuits against the perv’s estate after the Child Victims Act became law, opening a one-year period in which child sex abuse survivors can sue no matter how long ago the incident happened.

Epstein is believed to have hanged himself with a bedsheet while locked up in the Metropolitan Correctional Center on Saturday. He had been cooling his heels behind bars on federal sex-trafficking charges.

Lawyers for Araoz said she’s been “fully cooperating” with Manhattan prosecutors, who have vowed the investigation into Epstein’s alleged crimes will continue.

They also want answers from jail officials over Epstein’s apparent suicide and are seeking what, if any, legal recourse they may have.

“Why was he taken off of suicide watch and who signed off on it? There are a lot of questions,” said lawyer Kimberly Lerner. “They let Jennifer and the other victims down.”

Lawyers for Epstein’s estate and Maxwell did not immediately return messages.

 

[The Bobster]

https://nypost.com/2019/08/13/warden-overseeing-jail-where-jeffrey-epstein-died-is-reassigned/

Warden overseeing jail where Jeffrey Epstein died is reassigned
By Emily Saul
August 13, 2019 | 3:24pm | Updated

The warden overseeing the Lower Manhattan jail where convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was found dead of apparent suicide Saturday has been reassigned pending an investigation, it was announced Tuesday.

Attorney General William Barr himself made the decision to reassign Metropolitan Correctional Center sheboon warden Lamine N’Diaye, according to a Justice Department spokesperson.

In addition to N’Diaye, the Bureau of Prisons has placed two MCC staffers who were assigned to Epstein’s unit on leave for the duration of the investigation, the department said.

FCI Otisville warden James Petrucci has been named acting warden of the MCC New York. Otisville, a medium-security lockup, is currently home to President Trump’s former fixer Michael Cohen and Fyre Fest fraudster Billy McFarland.

Epstein, who was facing sex trafficking charges, was found unresponsive in his cell early Saturday. He was later declared dead at a hospital.

Sources told The Post that Epstein hanged himself with a bedsheet, after being removed from suicide watch following another alleged attempt to take his own life.

He hadn’t been checked on for several hours.

 

[The Bobster]

https://nypost.com/2019/08/14/epste...cellmate-nicholas-tartaglione-roughed-him-up/

Epstein told lawyers that cellmate Nicholas Tartaglione ‘roughed him up’
By Bruce Golding and Emily Saul
August 14, 2019 | 9:54pm | Updated

Jeffrey Epstein (left) and Nicholas Tartaglione


Jeffrey Epstein told his lawyers that a hulking ex-cop inflicted the injuries that left him nearly unconscious in his cell last month, a source close to the convicted pedophile’s case told The Post.

Epstein was treated for neck injuries following the July 23 incident inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan, law enforcement officials have said.

At the time, Epstein was sharing a cell with former Westchester County cop Nicholas Tartaglione, who faces a death penalty trial in four drug-related slayings upstate.

Epstein told his lawyers that “the cop roughed him up, and that’s why they got him off suicide watch,” the source said.

Tartaglione’s lawyer, Bruce Barket, disputed that account, saying, “I spoke to his lawyers and they never hinted at that to me, but he must have said something to get off suicide watch.”

“I do know that Nick was not brought up on any charges at all in the institution, so they cleared him,” Barket said.

“It’s simply, patently false to say that [Epstein] did anything other than try to kill himself at least twice, and succeeded when he succeeded.”

Barket added: “We were a little worried that he would make up something to get out of suicide watch or try and argue for bail, but it’s pretty clear what happened, given the end result here.”

The revelation came as Manhattan federal Judge Richard Berman, who was overseeing the child sex trafficking case against Epstein, released a Monday letter to the MCC’s warden in which he said that what happened on July 23 remained an “open question.”

“To my knowledge, it has never been definitively explained what the [Bureau of Prisons] concluded about that incident,” Berman wrote.

In a response dated the same day, Warden Lamine N’Diaye said that “an internal investigation was completed” but noted that “current investigations by the FBI and [Justice Department Office of Inspector General] will include this incident as well.”

“Accordingly, I cannot divulge any information about the prior investigation at this time,” N’Diaye said.

On Tuesday, Attorney General William Barr ordered the removal of N’Diaye from his post at the MCC after ripping the “serious irregularities at this facility” during a speech the previous day in New Orleans.

 

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https://nypost.com/2019/08/14/jeffrey-epsteins-last-words-to-lawyer-before-his-jailhouse-death/

Jeffrey Epstein’s last words to lawyer before his jailhouse death
By Bruce Golding
August 14, 2019 | 5:48pm | Updated

Jeffrey Epstein was confident he could fight the child sex trafficking charges against him and was in “great spirits” just hours before his jailhouse death on Saturday morning — even telling one of his lawyers, “I’ll see you Sunday,” The Post has learned.

The convicted pedophile also told his lawyers that the neck injuries he suffered in an earlier incident at the Metropolitan Correctional Center were inflicted by his hulking, ex-cop cellmate, which led the lawyers to request that he be taken off a suicide watch, according to a source familiar with Epstein’s case.

Epstein’s optimism behind bars — expressed during daily visits with his lawyers that lasted up to 12 hours each — was so great that it struck some of those around him as “delusional,” the source said.

“He thought he was going to win the double-jeopardy motion” that his defense lawyers were planning to file in connection with his 2008 Florida prostitution conviction, the source said.

The multimillionaire — who was jailed in Lower Manhattan on orders from a judge who cited his “uncontrollable” sexual urges — also “had hope of getting bail on appeal,” the source said, through an application that was pending before the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals at the time of his death.

“What he really wanted to do was get bail so he could cooperate,” the source said.

But whatever evidence Epstein may have had against his rich and powerful former friends died with him, because he kept no diary or notes that documented any alleged wrongdoing, the source said.

“He was delusional,” the source said.

“He thought he was going to get the same deal he got in Florida.”

Epstein, 66, pleaded guilty to two state charges of solicitation of prostitution — one involving a minor — as part of a sweetheart deal in which then-Miami US Attorney Alex Acosta approved a non-prosecution agreement over allegations the financier sexually abused dozens of underage girls at his waterfront mansion in Palm Beach.

Acosta was forced to resign as US labor secretary last month over controversy sparked by Epstein’s July 6 arrest on a child sex trafficking indictment obtained by Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman, who has said he’s not bound by the non-prosecution agreement in Florida.

The Manhattan federal court indictment accused Epstein of abusing dozens of underage girls between 2002 and 2005 at locations including his Upper East Side townhouse and Palm Beach mansion.

Epstein’s properties also included a private island, Little St. James, in the US Virgin Islands, and the “Zorro Ranch” in Stanley, New Mexico, that includes a sprawling mansion, landing strip and airplane hangar.

While locked up at the MCC, Epstein’s mood rarely wavered during the seven-days-a-week meetings with his lawyers, which routinely began at 8 a.m., the source said.

“Every day he was very positive and the night before he was real positive,” the source said. “He was in great spirits the night before.”

Epstein even told a lawyer who met with him on Friday — one day before the US Bureau of Prisons has said he was found “unresponsive” in his cell — that he was looking forward to their next visit.

“He was like, ‘I’ll see you Sunday,’ ” the source said.

It’s unclear whether Epstein’s sustained sunny disposition was sincere, or part of an elaborate act designed to enable him to kill himself.

Around 6:30 a.m. Saturday, he was found kneeling his 6-foot frame with a bedsheet wrapped around his neck and secured to the top of a bunk bed in his cell, law enforcement officials have said.

Paramedics tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead a short time later at NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital.

Epstein’s death followed a July 23 incident in which he was found nearly unconscious on the floor of his cell with marks on his neck and was placed on a suicide watch, law enforcement officials have said.

He was removed from the suicide watch on July 29 at the request of his defense lawyers, according to published reports.

At the time of the July 23 incident, Epstein was sharing his cell with a hulking, former Westchester County cop, Nicholas Tartaglione, who faces a death-penalty trial in four drug-related slayings upstate.

Epstein told his lawyers that “the cop roughed him up, and that’s why they got him off suicide watch,” the source familiar with Epstein’s case said.

Tartaglione’s lawyer, Bruce Barket, disputed that account, saying, “I spoke to his lawyers and they never hinted at that to me, but he must have said something to get off suicide watch.”

“I do know that Nick was not brought up on any charges at all in the institution, so they cleared him,” Barket said.

“It’s simply, patently false to say that [Epstein] did anything other than try to kill himself at least twice, and succeeded when he succeeded.”

Barket added: “We were a little worried that he would make up something to get out of suicide watch or try and argue for bail, but it’s pretty clear what happened, given the end result here.”

The US Bureau of Prisons, which runs the MCC, declined to comment, citing investigations into Epstein’s death by the FBI and the Justice Department Office of the Inspector General.

Epstein’s legal team didn’t return a request for comment.

 

[The Bobster]

https://nypost.com/2019/08/16/official-autopsy-shows-jeffrey-epstein-hanged-himself-in-jail-cell/

Jeffrey Epstein’s official autopsy confirms he hanged himself in jail cell
By Josh Kosman and Kate Sheehy
August 16, 2019 | 4:31pm | Updated

An official autopsy shows that Jeffrey Epstein killed himself by hanging, authorities said Friday.

The 66-year-old pedophile died in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan last week, according to findings by the city Medical Examiner’s Office.

The multimillionaire was being held on federal sex-trafficking raps that could have sent him to prison for 45 years.

The autopsy and other evidence confirmed Epstein committed suicide, the ME’s office said without elaborating.

Officials said earlier this week the autopsy had been completed but that the medical examiner needed “further information” before determining Epstein’s official cause of death.

Esptein was found with a bed sheet wrapped around his neck. It had been tied to the top of a bunk bed in his jail cell, and he was found kneeling, leaning forward, creating a lethal noose.

There were questions about why Epstein wasn’t on suicide watch.

He had been after being found in his cell in July with marks around his neck. But his lawyers had asked for him to be taken off the watch about a week later, and the MCC agreed.

That meant instead of being checked on in his cell every 15 minutes, guards would now make a pass every 30 minutes.

In Epstein’s case, even that didn’t happen.

It turned out he hadn’t been checked on for hours before his death. The two guards who were supposed to check on him during their rounds were asleep at the time, claiming they were overworked. One wasn’t even a full-fledged corrections officer.

A furious US Attorney General William Barr said he was “appalled’’ at the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death and opened a probe.

He also reassigned the stick nigger MCC warden, Lamine N’Diaye — who a well-placed source told The Post on Friday has hired a prominent criminal-defense lawyer to protect himself amid potential fallout from the debacle.

The source said N’Diaye starts a reassignment in Philadelphia next week.

The warden has no plans to sue anyone, the source said — this is strictly a defensive move.

“He needs adequate representation,’’ the source said. “He is worried about losing his position’’ as a warden.

Messages left at phone numbers listed for N’Diaye were not returned Friday.

 

[The Bobster]

https://nypost.com/2019/08/15/jeffr...xidermied-tiger-poodle-in-ues-mansion-photos/

Jeffrey Epstein had creepy taxidermied tiger, poodle in UES mansion: photos
By Larry Celona and Bruce Golding
August 15, 2019 | 6:13pm | Updated

A taxidermy tiger in Jeffrey Epstein's Upper East Side home


Bill Clinton in a blue dress was the least of it.

Jeffrey Epstein kept a creepy home office in his Upper East Side townhouse that was decorated with a $5.9 million painting of a woman cupping her bare breast – along with a taxidermied tiger and poodle, photos obtained by The Post revealed Thursday.

The pictures also show the ornate and ostentatious furnishings favored by the convicted pedophile, including a crystal chandelier, a pair of matching candelabra, a carved-wood, lacquered sideboard and a massive, floral-pattern rug.

The cellphone images were snapped by a hedge fund trader who said he went to Epstein’s mansion to pitch his investment strategy to the multimillionaire, who apparently hanged himself in jail on Saturday while awaiting trial on federal child sex trafficking charges.

“When I showed up, they took me upstairs – I think by mistake, they thought I was someone else – and they left me,” the trader said.

“I just took some pictures because it was so odd.”

The hedge funder described Epstein’s office as “very opulent, all dark burgundies and reds,” adding that “the picture behind the desk was very interesting” and obviously painted by “a decent artist.”

Online records show the oil-on-canvas portrait, “Femme Fatale,” was created around 1905 by Dutch-French artist Kees van Dongen and was most recently purchased by an unidentified bidder during a November 2004 auction at Christie’s.

But the most striking items in the room were the taxidermied animals.

“The stuffed toy poodle was really kind of crazy. It wasn’t fake fur at all,” the trader said.

“It looked like he needed to be dusted.”

And the tiger, the trader said, “was huge.”

“I don’t think the pictures really give proper dimensions,” he said.

“The desk had to be one of the biggest desks I’ve ever seen, and that tiger just dwarfed it.”

Revelation of the office’s interior came a day after a photo surfaced showing that Epstein’s East 71st Street townhouse was also decorated with a bizarre painting of his onetime pal, ex-President Clinton, wearing a Monica Lewinksy-style blue dress and red women’s pumps while lounging in a chair in the Oval Office.

see also
The bizarre painting of Bill Clinton that Epstein had in his townhouse
The trader said he was ushered out of Epstein’s office after about 10 minutes and brought to a nondescript waiting room before being introduced to the financier.

“I remember he had a really hot secretary and he came off with a lot of bravado,” the trader said.

But while Epstein was “very enthusiastic during the presentation,” he never followed up afterward, despite the fact that he heard pitches from a group of hedge funders who offered “four different strategies and styles.”

“There were some really quality guys that we put before him,” the trader said.

“It makes me think – just purely speculation – that they weren’t really trading, just pretending to trade.”
Related Video

 

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https://nypost.com/2019/08/18/epste...spital-that-treated-alleged-sex-slave-report/

Epstein’s gal pal gave $1K to hospital that treated alleged sex slave: report
By Bruce Golding
August 18, 2019 | 3:57pm

Ghislaine Maxwell


Jeffrey Epstein’s gal pal Ghislaine Maxwell donated $1,000 to New York-Presbyterian Hospital after the two of them allegedly brought one of his accusers there for treatment following a sexual assault, according to a British news report.

Maxwell also gave $350 to a New York City charity that aids victims of child sex trafficking at the same time Epstein was negotiating a controversial plea deal in Florida amid allegations he abused underage girls, the Telegraph said.

Maxwell’s contributions were made by her Max Foundation TR, which was run by her and one of Epstein’s lawyers, the Telegraph said, citing financial records.

Other beneficiaries of Maxwell’s private charity included the Clinton Foundation, which in 2003 received the foundation’s biggest donation ever of $2,500, the Telegraph said.

The New York-Presbyterian donation was made on May 2, 2007, about six years after Virginia Giuffre has claimed that Maxwell and Epstein took her to the Upper East Side hospital following abuse inflicted by Epstein, the Telegraph said.

The contribution to Girls Educational & Mentoring Services, also known as GEMS, was reportedly made on April 15, 2008, less than two months before Epstein pleaded guilty in Palm Beach to two counts of solicitation of prostitution, one involving a minor.

The multimillionaire financier served 13 months in prison, with much of the time on work release, for that conviction.

He was awaiting trial on federal child sex-trafficking charges when he hanged himself in a Lower Manhattan lockup on Aug. 10, officials have said.

Maxwell hasn’t been charged with any crimes, but has been accused in civil suits of having recruited underage victims for Epstein – and of engaging in three-way sex with him and various girls.

US Attorney General William Barr last week warned that an investigation was continuing and that Epstein’s suspected co-conspirators “should not rest easy.”

Neither New York-Presbyterian nor GEMS immediately returned requests for comment.

 

[The Bobster]

https://nypost.com/2019/08/17/jeffr...everage-his-wealth-to-survive-in-jail-report/

Jeffrey Epstein tried to leverage his wealth to survive in jail: report
By Eileen AJ Connelly and Mara Siegler
August 17, 2019 | 3:18pm | Updated

He couldn’t buy his freedom — but he could buy vending machine snacks, the “friendship” of fellow inmates, and hours on end away from his cell meeting with lawyers.

Millionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein spread his wealth around as much as he could in the month before he committed suicide on Aug. 10 at the federal Manhattan Correctional Center, The New York Times reported Saturday.

Epstein deposited money in at least three other inmates’ commissary accounts in an attempt to ingratiate himself and possibly buy protection from the hardened criminals in the MCC’s Special Housing Unit, where he awaited trial on a massive underage sex trafficking indictment, outlet reported.

To escape the misery of his damp, mouse and roach infested cell, the disgraced money manager would pay a staff of lawyers to meet for up to 12 hours at a time in a private attorney-client meeting room.

His entourage would routinely empty the two adjacent vending machines of drinks and snacks.

“It was shift work, all designed by someone who had infinite resources to try and get as much comfort as possible,” a lawyer who was often in the jail visiting clients told the outlet.

At times, at least, the perks worked to lift his spirits.

A lawyer who met with Epstein in early August claimed he was “very very upbeat” — an account that jibes with what sources told The Post about his spirits in the days before he apparently killed himself.

Attorney David Schoen told paper he met with Epstein for roughly five hours, and had expected to join his legal team.

“One thing I can say for sure is when I left him he was very, very upbeat,” said Schoen, who was ultimately never hired.

But in the week before his death, Epstein appeared more and more haggard and unkempt, lawyers and prison staff told The Times.

“He’s deprived of communication with third parties, looked disheveled, sleeping on the floor sometimes,” one lawyer told the paper.

He spent his last day sitting for hours with his lawyers, and would have been well aware that a court had that day released a damaging trove of some 2,000 pages of documents from a prior defamation lawsuit by one of his accusers.

Then, back to the dankness and vermin of his cell, which The Times said was positioned so that a small window would have allowed Epstein to see if the guards tasked with monitoring him were awake or — as prison officials now charge — asleep.

The city Medical Examiner’s Office has concluded his death was a suicide.

On Saturday, Epstein’s former attorney Alan Dershowitz told The Post that despite the murder conspiracies swirling around the pedophile’s death, he is certain his former client just gave up. “I think he killed himself because he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life in prison,” Dershowitz said.

“He did a cost-benefit analysis, and thought he’d be better off dead.”

 

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Prosecutors call Epstein pilot as first witness in Ghislaine Maxwell trial

Prosecutors on Monday called one of Jeffrey Epstein’s personal pilots as the first witness in their sex-trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell.

nypost.com

Prosecutors call Epstein pilot as first witness in Ghislaine Maxwell trial​

By
Ben Feuerherd and

Tamar Lapin


November 29, 2021 6:04pm
Updated

Prosecutors called one of Jeffrey Epstein's personal pilots as a witness. MEGA


Prosecutors on Monday called one of Jeffrey Epstein’s personal pilots as the first witness in their sex-trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell.
Lawrence Paul Visoski Jr., who was hired by Epstein in 1991, was asked about the relationship between the late pedophile and his longtime alleged madam, describing it as “more personal than business.”
“I wouldn’t even categorize it as romantic,” he said, noting it was more “couple-ish.”
Witness Lawrence Paul Visoski Jr, a pilot for Jeffrey Epstein, testifies at the start of Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial.Reuters Lawrence Paul Visoski Jr. was asked about the relationship between Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images
Yet, Visoski, who goes by the nickname “Larry,” said he never witnessed them kiss or hold hands.
Visoski testified that when he met Maxwell, she managed Epstein’s many households, including hiring staff and decorating his residences.
Prosecutors in their opening statements earlier Monday had described the British socialite as a “lady of the house” who was “involved in every detail of Epstein’s life.”
Ghislaine Maxwell listens as defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim gives her opening statement in a courtroom sketch in New York City, November 29, 2021.REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Witness Lawrence Paul Visoski Jr, a pilot for Jeffrey Epstein, testifies at the start of Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial on charges of sex trafficking, November 29, 2021.REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
The feds are making the argument that Maxwell, 59, was the sick financier’s “partner in crime” and an “essential” participant in his scheme to sexually abuse underage girls.
She has denied the charges, and her attorneys have repeatedly claimed she’s being scapegoated for the government’s failure to bring Epstein to trial.
Visoski flew the convicted creep’s private jet, the “Lolita Express,” for over a quarter-century, reportedly shuttling high-profile figures including Prince Andrew, Kevin Spacey and former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.
His testimony is expected to continue when the proceedings resume Tuesday morning.

 

[The Bobster]

Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein were ‘partners in crime’: prosecutors

Ghislaine Maxwell is accused of helping Epstein to “recruit, groom and ultimately abuse” girls as young as 14.

nypost.com

Prosecutors: Ghislaine Maxwell was Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘partner in crime’​

By
Ben Feuerherd and

Tamar Lapin


November 29, 2021 2:23pm
Updated









Ghislaine Maxwell's Sex-Trafficking Trial Starts Monday






Ghislaine Maxwell acted as powerful pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s “partner in crime” and was an “essential” part of his scheme to prey on underage girls, prosecutors charged Monday, the first day of the accused madam’s hotly anticipated trial in Manhattan court.
The feds began laying out their case against the fallen 59-year-old British socialite, charging that she coaxed and manipulated children to satisfy Epstein’s sick sexual desires and secure her position of wealth and power.
“The defendant and Epstein lured their victims with the promise of a brighter future — only to sexually exploit them and forever change their lives,” Assistant US Attorney Lara Pomerantz told jurors.
Maxwell — who has been locked up since her July 2020 arrest — stands accused of helping Epstein to “recruit, groom and ultimately abuse” girls as young as 14, according to the indictment against her.
“For a decade, the defendant played an essential role in this scheme,” Pomerantz continued. “She knew exactly what she was doing. She was dangerous. She was setting young girls up to be molested by a predator. That’s what we expect the evidence will show.
“She was in on it from the start.”
Ghislaine Maxwell embraces her defense lawyers after entering the courtroom for the start of her trial.REUTERS
The six counts Maxwell faces — including sex-trafficking of minors — stem from the allegations of four women who say they were abused by Epstein and Maxwell between 1994 and 2004 when they were teenagers.
“What she didn’t know then was that this man and woman were predators,” Pomerantz said, referring to one of the young accusers. “This meeting was the beginning of that man and woman targeting Jane for sexual abuse that would last for years.”
Prosecutors allege that Maxwell, the youngest child of late publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, groomed the teens knowing they would be preyed on by her ex-boyfriend and best buddy — and even took part in the abuse.
Defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim gives her opening statement at the start of Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial on charges of sex trafficking.Reuters
Pomerantz detailed how Maxwell and Epstein allegedly devised a ruse to lure teen girls to “massage rooms” in several of his homes.
“What was happening inside those massage rooms was not a massage, it was sexual abuse,” the prosecutor said.
Pomerantz said Epstein “touched the teenage girls’ vaginas with a massage device, or vibrator,” and at times masturbated. He also groped them and sexually assaulted them.
Ghislaine Maxwell speaks with defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim.REUTERS
As Pomerantz described the abuse inflicted on the alleged victims, she warned jurors about the graphic, disturbing nature of their expected testimony.
“I know this is hard to hear, but these are the facts of the case. This is what happened to these children,” she said.
Set to testify are the four alleged victims, as well as former employees of Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
US Marshals escorted Maxwell, who wore a cream sweater and black pants, into the courtroom at around 8:30 a.m.
Isabel Maxwell, sister of Ghislaine Maxwell, arrives at court on November 29.Getty Images
The start of her trial drew a mass of media, who arrived at dawn in an effort to snag a seat inside the courtroom or in one of the overflow rooms equipped with live video and audio feeds of the proceedings.
Joining them were members of the public, including alleged victims of the depraved duo like Sarah Ransome, who sued them both in 2017 for forcing her into sex acts in 2006 and 2007, when she was in her 20s. Her federal lawsuit was settled a year later.
“I never thought this day would come,” Ransome told reporters outside the courthouse Monday morning.
One of Maxwell’s three sisters, Isabel, and Lisa Bloom, the attorney representing some of Epstein’s alleged victims, were also spotted arriving at the Lower Manhattan courthouse.
“We encourage everyone to allow the evidence to unfold in court and to exercise restraint and respect for the administration of criminal justice,” Maxwell’s siblings tweeted from their joint account @RealGhislaine on Monday morning.
Sarah Ransome, a victim of Jeffery Epstein arrives for the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell at the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse on November 29, 2021.AP
Inside the courtroom, the first order of business was to finalize jury selection: picking the 12 jurors and six alternates who will hear Maxwell’s case from a pool of 40 to 60 people who made it through initial questioning.
Sitting at the defense table, Maxwell appeared relaxed and exchanged many glances with her sister, who was sitting in the front row and at one point seemed to smile behind her mask.
Maxwell took frequent notes, sometimes handing them to her attorneys. She eyed the jurors as the prosecution delivered its opening statements.
About two dozen spectators were in the courtroom, including, for a time, US Attorney Damian Williams, who at one point sat up straight to get a good look at Maxwell.
Ghislaine Maxwell is accused of helping Epstein to “recruit, groom and ultimately abuse” girls as young as 14.United Nations Photo/Rick Bajornas via AP, File
The Oxford-educated blue blood has been held in a Brooklyn jail since she was arrested at a $1 million New Hampshire estate, to which she escaped following Epstein’s suicide in August 2019. She has denied the charges, and her attorneys have repeatedly claimed she’s being scapegoated for the government’s failure to bring Epstein to trial.
“Ghislaine is on trial here and you heard about the conduct of Jeffrey Epstein. She is filling that hole. And filling an empty chair,” said defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim in her opening statement, arguing that her client was a “convenient stand-in” for the dead sex offender.
Sternheim also took aim at the four alleged victims, claiming that the case would revolve around “memory, manipulation and money.”
“In many regards, he was like a 21st Century James Bond. His mystery has stirred interest,” she said about Epstein. “His accusers have shaken the money tree and millions of dollars have fallen their way.”
Audrey Strauss, acting US attorney for the Southern District of New York, points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, during a news conference in New York.AP Photo/John Minchillo, File
Until his July 2019 arrest, the sick financier had skirted federal sex-trafficking charges because of a secret 2008 deal with the Justice Department that allowed him to plead guilty to state charges in Florida instead and serve just 13 months in prison.
Maxwell, who holds American, French and British citizenship, has repeatedly been denied bail while awaiting trial. Her lawyers have argued that she has been subjected to horrific conditions in the Metropolitan Detention Center, including sexual abuse by guards during daily pat-down searches.

 

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Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Trump, Clinton, Prince Andrew named-dropped during Epstein pilot testimony

Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorney quizzed Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime former pilot Lawrence Paul Visoski Jr., about the politicians and celebrities he flew on the late pedophile’s priva…

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Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Trump, Clinton, Prince Andrew named-dropped during Epstein pilot testimony​

By
Ben Feuerherd and

Tamar Lapin


November 30, 2021 1:30pm
Updated









Just One Name Ghislaine Maxwell CLEAN






Prince Andrew and former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump were among the high-profile men to get name-dropped Tuesday at Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial in Manhattan.
Maxwell’s defense attorney quizzed Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime former pilot Lawrence Paul Visoski Jr. about the politicians and celebrities he flew on the late pedophile’s private plane.

“Former President Bill Clinton flew on some of the flights?” lawyer Christian Everdell asked.
“Yes,” Visoski replied.
The aviator also testified under cross-examination that he remembered Prince Andrew riding on Epstein’s planes and said he shuttled Trump “more than once.”
Asked whether Trump flew on the jet with his family, Visoski testified, “I don’t remember that.”
But, he added, “I certainly remember President Trump.”
Lawrence Visoski is seen arriving at the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse on November 30, 2021.Alec Tabak Jeffrey Epstein’s former pilot Lawrence Paul Visoski Jr. says he flew former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump and Prince Andrew along with Epstein.REUTERS Visoski said he would have been told in advance if a big name like Clinton was going to be a passenger on the jet.REUTERS
Other boldface names Visoski recalled seeing on the jet included accused perv actor Kevin Spacey, comedian Chris Tucker, famed violinist Itzhak Perlman and former Sens. George Mitchell and John Glenn.

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Melania Trump, Prince Andrew, Gwendolyn Beck and Jeffrey Epstein at a party at Mar-a-Lago on Feb. 12, 2000.Davidoff Studios/Getty Images
Visoski said under cross-examination that he would have been told in advance if a big name like Clinton was going to be a passenger on the jet.
“There might be special catering?” Everdell asked about the ex-president, who has been photographed with Maxwell aboard the “Lolita Express.”
“Sure,” Visoski replied.
When asked if he remembered a victim in the case, identified only as “Jane,” riding on the plane, the pilot said: “I can’t visualize her sitting in the passenger compartment like I would, say, President Clinton.”
President Bill Clinton golfs with Prince Andrew on Martha’s Vineyard in August 1999. AFP via Getty Images Jeffrey Epstein with former President Bill Clinton onboard Epstein’s private jet.Netflix
The pilot also recalled flying Epstein to Columbus, Ohio, where the convicted sex offender had a home — near one owned by one of his business associates, Victoria’s Secret founder Les Wexner.
“Mr. Epstein would call him a client, yes,” Visoski said when asked about his former boss’ relationship to Wexner.
Lawrence Paul Visoski jr. testified that he remembered Prince Andrew riding on Epstein’s planes “more than once.”Steve Parsons/PA Wire/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Visoski said he interacted with Maxwell during his employment with Epstein at first in a business capacity. Maxwell would handle things like his expense reports, which he would take to her at Epstein’s properties in New York.
“Ms. Maxwell was the No. 2 and Mr. Epstein was a big No. 1,” he said.
As the years went on, he grew closer to Maxwell, and attended helicopter license classes with her while she was training to become a pilot in Florida, he testified.
His two daughters — who were about 14 and 11 years old — also went horseback riding with Maxwell at Epstein’s New Mexico ranch.
Epstein also gave Visoski — his employee of close to 30 years — a number of pricey gifts throughout his employment, including 40 acres of land on his New Mexico ranch for him to build a house.

The financier also paid for Visoski’s two daughters’ private high school education, the pilot testified.

Epstein listed a number of fancy cars in Visoski’s name, including a Land Rover, a Mercedes and a Jaguar, he said. The pilot said the vehicles were Epstein’s but he and other staff were allowed to drive them near his Palm Beach, Fla., mansion.
Prince Andrew has maintained that he never had sex with Virginia Roberts Giuffre despite her saying they met several times. BACKGRID Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein stroll through Central Park in December 2010.News Licensing / MEGA

 

[The Bobster]

Prince Andrew asks judge to toss Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault suit

In court papers filed Monday, the Duke of York argues there are constitutional issues with Giuffre’s suit because it was filed under the New York Child Victims’ Act.

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Prince Andrew asks judge to toss Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault suit​

By
Priscilla DeGregory


December 14, 2021 11:31am
Updated

The prince says only four people were witness to the alleged abuse -- the since-deceased Jeffrey Epstein, an incarcerated Maxwell, Andrew himself and Giuffre. TheImageDirect.com

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Prince Andrew says accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s sex assault suit against him should be tossed because she was 17 when she allegedly had sex with him — the legal age of consent in New York, new court papers show.
Giuffre sued Andrew in August claiming she was forced by Jeffrey Epstein and alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with the royal at least three times in London, New York and the US Virgin Islands when she was just 17.
But in court papers filed Monday, the Duke of York argues there are constitutional issues with Giuffre’s suit because it was filed under the New York Child Victims’ Act.
The law allows victims age 18 and younger to bring claims against their abusers, though New York’s age of consent is 17, according to the filing in Manhattan federal court.
In a case where a 17-year-old alleges abuse, they must prove a lack of explicit consent or lack of consent by “implied threat” — which in Giuffre’s case would depend on unavailable third-party witness testimony, Andrew’s lawyers argue.
The prince says only four people were witness to the alleged abuse — the since-deceased Epstein, an incarcerated Maxwell, Andrew himself and Giuffre.
Giuffre sued Andrew in August claiming she was forced to have sex with the royal at least three times in London.Supplied by Capital Pictures /MediaPunch
Giuffre’s CVA claims are “based solely on the unverified (and unverifiable) contention that they did not consent to those acts,” the court papers allege.
The royal’s lawyers also argue that since Giuffre claims some of the abuse occurred outside of New York, those claims should be tossed as they won’t hold up under CVA — which specifies the abuse had to have occurred within the Empire State.
Andrew additionally says that a secret settlement agreement that Giuffre signed with Epstein in 2009 in a lawsuit against the dead financier legally bars her from bringing claims against the royal.
“The release agreement, by its plain terms, embodies the parties’ intent to benefit directly and substantially a class of persons of which Prince Andrew is a member,” his lawyers argued in the filing.
Andrew says that a secret settlement agreement that Giuffre signed with Epstein in 2009 legally bars her from bringing claims against the royal.Michael Thomas/Mail on Sunday/SOLO
A judge has already ruled the settlement agreement will remain sealed in Giuffre’s case against the prince.
Giuffre’s lawyers did not immediately return a request for comment.

 

[The Bobster]

Jury begins deliberating in Ghislaine Maxwell sex-trafficking trial

The 12-person panel will weigh Ghislaine Maxwell’s fate on six counts, including sex trafficking of a minor and sex trafficking conspiracy. She faces a maximum of 70 years in federal prison.

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Jury begins deliberating in Ghislaine Maxwell sex-trafficking trial​

By
Ben Feuerherd and

Tamar Lapin


December 20, 2021 4:54pm
Updated









Jurors began deliberating Monday whether Ghislaine Maxwell did in fact serve as Jeffrey Epstein’s partner in crime by recruiting and grooming young girls for him to sexually abuse.
The 12-person panel will review more than two weeks of testimony as they weigh six counts against the former British socialite, including sex trafficking of a minor and sex trafficking conspiracy.
Maxwell, who turns 60 on Christmas Day, faces a maximum of 70 years in federal prison if convicted on all counts.
In her closing statements, Assistant US Attorney Alison Moe insisted Maxwell played an integral role in a scheme hatched by Epstein in his pursuit of underage girls.
“Maxwell was Jeffrey Epstein’s right hand,” Moe said, referring to the pair as “partners in crime,” as prosecutors did in their opening statement on Nov. 29.
The 12-person panel will weigh Ghislaine Maxwell’s fate on six counts, including sex trafficking of a minor and sex trafficking conspiracy.Jane Rosenberg/REUTERS
“She was a sophisticated predator who knew exactly what she was doing,” Moe added in the federal courtroom in Lower Manhattan. “She ran the same playbook again and again and again.”
At trial, prosecutors called two dozen witnesses, including four accusers who alleged in detail how Maxwell readied them for abuse by the convicted pedophile.
The jury receives their instructions before beginning deliberations during the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, December 20, 2021.REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
In her summations, Moe highlighted that testimony as proof Maxwell engaged in “textbook” grooming of the girls.
Maxwell and Epstein at first isolated the girls – Jane, Kate, Carolyn and Annie Farmer – by taking them alone to one of his palatial estates in Florida, New York, New Mexico or London.
Maxwell then played her part in the conspiracy by getting the girls to relax by chatting with them about their interests or hardships in their lives, Moe said.
Attorney Laura Menninger closes for the defense near defense attorney Christian Everdell as Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell attends her trial for sex trafficking.REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
The accused “predator” then normalized sexual touching and sexual behavior by appearing topless in front of them, or by asking them to rub Epstein’s feet.
“None of this was normal. They were molesting an underage girl. That’s what Maxwell did,” Moe said.
Defense attorneys have tried to undermine her accusers throughout the trial – and to paint Maxwell as an innocent woman scapegoated by prosecutors after Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial in 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe delivers closing arguments as Judge Alison Nathan watches.REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell attends her trial for sex trafficking next to defense attorney Christian Everdell, December 20, 2021.REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
“This has nothing to do with Ghislaine and everything to do with Jeffrey Epstein,” attorney Laura Menninger told jurors Monday.
“Ghislaine Maxwell is an innocent woman wrongfully accused of crimes she did not commit,” she added.
Menninger also pointed to testimony from defense witnesses that appeared to contradict statements made by Maxwell’s accusers.
Maurene Comey points at Ghislaine Maxwell as she delivers the rebuttal argument for the government.REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
She said accuser Kate testified about a massage room in Maxwell’s London townhouse where she first massaged Epstein – but an employee of the financier later testified that she never saw one in the home.
Maxwell was joined by four of her siblings in the courtroom Monday, who sat in the first row as the attorneys delivered their closing statements.
The disgraced socialite wore a black face mask and a cream-colored turtleneck as she watched her trial come to a close.

 

[The Bobster]

Ghislaine Maxwell convicted of sex-trafficking girls for Jeffrey Epstein

Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of five of the six charges against her at her sex-trafficking trial Wednesday evening.

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Ghislaine Maxwell convicted of sex trafficking victim for Jeffrey Epstein​

By
Ben Feuerherd and

Tamar Lapin


December 29, 2021 5:09pm
Updated









Ghislaine Maxwell convicted of sex trafficking victims for Jeffrey Epstein






Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted Wednesday evening of recruiting and grooming underage girls for years as Jeffrey Epstein’s madam — capping a stunning fall from grace for the British socialite who could now spend the rest of her life behind bars.
Maxwell, who turned 60 Christmas day, sat still as the unanimous verdict on five of six counts was read aloud. When it was done, she poured herself a cup of water from a Fiji bottle and took a swig, then conferred with her lawyer.
She showed no emotion as she was hauled out of federal court in Lower Manhattan in front of her siblings, who were seated in the front row.
The jury deliberated for five full days, requesting troves of evidence and sordid witness testimony that was presented during the month-long case, before finding Maxwell guilty. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
“The road to justice has been far too long. But, today, justice has been done,” US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a statement. “I want to commend the bravery of the girls – now grown women – who stepped out of the shadows and into the courtroom. Their courage and willingness to face their abuser made this case, and today’s result, possible.”
Ghislaine Maxwell is shown in a court sketch as the verdict is read.REUTERS U.S. marshals escort Maxwell from the courtroom.REUTERS
Maxwell’s lawyers had argued in closing statements that she was an innocent scapegoat in the Epstein saga – while prosecutors convinced the 12 jurors she was a “sophisticated predator” who exploited young, vulnerable girls.
The Oxford-educated heiress — youngest child to the late publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell — was convicted on nearly all counts, including sex-trafficking of minors, the top charge that carries a maximum of 40 years in prison.
That count relates to the allegations of one of the four accusers, who testified using her first name, Carolyn, detailing how she gave hundreds of sexualized massages to Epstein as a teenager living in Palm Beach, Florida — sessions that Maxwell helped arrange.
The other counts Maxwell was found guilty of are as follow:

• Count 1: conspiracy to entice a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
• Count 3: conspiracy to transport a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
• Count 4: transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
• Count 5: conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, which carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison.

Bobbi Sternheim, one of Maxwell’s attorneys, speaks with the media after the verdict.Alec Tabak
She was acquitted of Count 2, enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, which related to allegations from a woman going by the pseudonym “Jane,” who testified that she was sexually abused by Epstein at his Palm Beach estate when she was 14 in 1994. Jurors earlier in the week indicated they needed more clarity on the charge, asking Judge Alison Nathan for the definition of “enticement.”
Since the start of Maxwell’s trial Nov. 29, prosecutors sought to portray her to jurors as inexorably linked to Epstein, including in his pursuit of underage girls to sexually abuse.
“Maxwell was Jeffrey Epstein’s right hand,” Assistant US Attorney Alison Moe said in her closing statement.
Maxwell did not show emotion upon hearing the verdict. Scott Rudd/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
“Maxwell and Epstein were partners. They were partners in crime who sexually exploited young girls together,” Moe said.
Over the course of three weeks, prosecutors called two dozen witnesses, including four accusers who detailed how Maxwell groomed them for abuse by Epstein – and how she at times participated in the sexual contact.
The first accuser to take the stand, Jane, told the jury that she met Maxwell and Epstein when the pair approached her at a Michigan arts camp in the early 1990s when she was 14 years old.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s family (left) chat with Ghislaine (right) during her trial for sex trafficking on December 20, 2021.REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
From there, the teen was groomed for abuse at Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion by Maxwell, who exposed her to nudity and sexualized conversations in an attempt to normalize the behavior, prosecutors alleged.
“She would ask me what I was up to, if I had a boyfriend,” Jane testified, adding that Maxwell claimed to her about dating, “Once you f–k them, you can always f–k them again because they’re grandfathered in.”
At Epstein’s mansion, Maxwell and the twisted millionaire money man abused the teen together and in group sex sessions with other women, Jane testified.
In 1994, Jane said, the financier and Maxwell led her upstairs to his bedroom, moved her over to the bed and “took their clothes off.
Maxwell’s siblings, Christine, left, Isabel, center, and Kevin, leave the courthouse after the verdict.Gregory P. Mango
“They started to sort of like fondle each other,” she said, adding that they were “casually giggling” as she stood there.
“He asked me to take my top off,” she said of Epstein, who killed himself behind bars while awaiting trial in Manhattan in 2019.
Jeffrey Epstein & Ghislaine Maxwell were both accused of trafficking underage girls and forcing them to have sex with either Epstein or other men.SDNY
“Then there were hands everywhere, and Jeffrey proceeded to masturbate again. And Ghislaine was like rubbing on him, kissing on him.”
Maxwell and Epstein repeated this “playbook” to lure in other underage girls for him to abuse, including the three other victims who testified at trial, prosecutors said.
In most cases, the pair preyed on vulnerable girls from single-parent homes, prosecutors said.
“Selecting these girls was predatory behavior. Maxwell and Epstein picked vulnerable girls,” Moe said in her closing statement.
Another accuser, Carolyn, who testified using her first name Carolyn said she was introduced to Maxwell and Epstein at age 14 through Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a teen she knew from her West Palm Beach neighborhood.
Carolyn had been sexually abused by her grandfather starting when she was 4 years old and raised by her mother, an alcoholic.
Over a number of years, Carolyn massaged Epstein more than 100 times at his Palm Beach estate – and “something sexual happened every single time,” she told jurors.
The New York State Department submitted into evidence footage from the Epstein’s 2005 raid police video.SDNY
Maxwell would call her or her boyfriend at the time to schedule the massages, Carolyn added.
At least once, Maxwell groped the teen as she was getting undressed and preparing to give Epstein a massage in the Florida home.
“She came in and felt my boobs and my hips and my buttocks,” Carolyn said, her voice breaking as she recalled the touching.
Jeffrey Epstein (right) & Ghislaine Maxwell on board his private jet which hosted a large amount of political figures.SDNY
Maxwell told her that she “had a great body for Mr. Epstein and his friends. She just said that I had good body type,” she added.
At the same time Maxwell and Epstein were luring these girls away from their families to sexually abuse them, the older pair was socializing with the rich and elite.
Witnesses recalled seeing photographs at Epstein’s Florida mansion that showed the financier with leaders ranging from Fidel Castro to Pope John Paul II. Epstein also had entertained former President Bill Clinton and Maxwell’s pal, Britain’s Prince Andrew.
At Epstein’s mansion, Maxwell and the twisted millionaire money man abused the teen together and in group sex sessions with other women.SDNY
Another accuser who testified under the pseudonym Kate said Maxwell touted her relationships to the rich and powerful as she lured her into Epstein’s orbit.
The disgraced socialite “seemed to know everybody,” Kate told the jury.
“She was friends with Prince Andrew, friends with Donald Trump. Sometimes their names would just come up or she would be talking on the phone about them with me present,” she said.
Prosecutors painted Ghislaine Maxwell as Epstein’s right-hand man and knew what was going on in the mansion. SDNY
It was precisely because of these connections why Epstein and Maxwell felt they could get away with their crimes for so long, prosecutors said.
That all changed with Maxwell’s arrest and at her trial — as four of her accusers, now grown women, pointed her out to the jury as the woman who facilitated their sexual abuse.
“The defendant never thought that those teenage girls would have the strength to report what happened to them. In her eyes, they were just trash, beneath her,” Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey told jurors in her rebuttal statement at the close of the trial.
Several victims claimed that Ghislaine Maxwell would send young girls to give Epstein a massage that would end in a sexual encounter.SDNY

“Who would believe Jane or Kate or Carolyn or Annie over Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein, who rubbed shoulders with presidents and celebrities and business leaders?” Comey said.
“But the defendant didn’t count on those teenage girls growing up into the women who testified at this trial; women who would be willing to take that stand and tell the truth about what happened,” Comey said.

 

[The Bobster]

Federal prosecutors end criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein’s prison guards

Michael Thomas and Tova Noel, who admitted that they didn’t check in on Epstein the night he committed suicide, have been sentenced to community service.

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Federal prosecutors end criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein’s prison guards​

By
Patrick Reilly


December 30, 2021 7:49pm
Updated

Michael Thomas and Tova Noel were supposed to check on Epstein every 30 minutes the night he committed suicide, but shopped online and took breaks instead. EPA; Matthew McDermott

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US prosecutors ended the criminal case against the two Manhattan prison guards tasked with guarding convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein on the night of his suicide and who admitted to falsifying records.
Federal prosecutors Thursday asked a judge to dismiss charges against Tova Noel and Michael Thomas in Manhattan following their six-month deferred prosecution deal reached in May that kept the two jailers out of jail. They instead each agreed to complete 100 hours of community service and to cooperate with federal investigators’ probe into Epstein’s death.
Noel and Thomas, who were working overtime shifts, allegedly sat just five yards from Epstein’s cell, but shopped online and took breaks instead of checking his cell every 30 minutes as required.
The guards admitted that they “willfully and knowingly” lied on forms stating that they’d made the required rounds checking on inmates the night of Epstein’s 2019 suicide.
Epstein had been on suicide watch for a month before he hung himself inside his cell.CBS 60 MINUTES Thomas and Noel admitted that they lied on forms stating that they’d made the required rounds checking on inmates the night of Epstein’s 2019 suicide. Christopher Sadowski
Epstein, who had been on suicide watch for a month, was found hanging in his cell awaiting his sex trafficking trial on Aug. 10, 2019. The high-profile death was officially ruled a suicide by the New York City medical examiner.
Thomas’ lawyer Montell Figgins said his client is pleased with the dismissal and is happy to put the incident behind him.
Epstein’s longtime partner-in-crime Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted Wednesday evening of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein for years.
The Post reported on the scandal the day after Epstein’s suicide.vmodica; AFP/Getty Images
She was convicted on nearly all counts, including sex trafficking of minors, the top charge that carries a maximum sentence of 40 years, possibly condemning the heiress to life in prison.
Maxwell is expected to appeal the verdict.

 

[The Bobster]

Ghislaine Maxwell’s brother says she won’t rat out for lighter sentence

Ghislaine Maxwell is a convicted sex offender and disgraced British socialite —- but she’s no rat, her brother tells The Sunday Times of London.

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Ghislaine Maxwell’s brother says she won’t rat out for lighter sentence​

By
Kerry J. Byrne


January 1, 2022 7:10pm
Updated

Ghislaine Maxwell's siblings Kevin, Christine, Isabel and Ian, who said the convicted sex offender made "no plea bargain offers" to lower her sentence. EPA

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Ghislaine Maxwell is a convicted sex offender and disgraced British socialite —- but she’s no rat, her brother tells The Sunday Times of London.
“Prosecution confirmed no plea bargain offers were made or received” before the trial, Ian Maxwell said. “I expect that position to be maintained.”
Maxwell, in other words, will not trade names for the prospect of a lighter sentence.
Her refusal to cooperate with prosecutors could come as a relief to alleged co-conspirators, including four women employed by Maxwell and partner in crime Jeffery Epstein, and to others linked to the tawdry couple, such as Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates and Donald Trump, the report states.
Maxwell, 60, was “understandably subdued” by her conviction but “strong in spirit,” the brother said.
She faces up to 65 years in jail after being convicted this week of trafficking underaged girls as young as 14. Maxwell was described by prosecutors as a “sophisticated predator” who committed “one of the worst crimes imaginable.”
Ghislaine Maxwell’s siblings Isabel, Christine, Kevin and Ian, who claims the formal socialite remains “strong in spirit” following her sex trafficking conviction.Alec Tabak
Epstein, 66, died in prison in 2019, a victim of suicide authorities say, while awaiting trial for child sex charges.

Ghislaine “is not now, nor has ever been, a suicide risk,” her brother said. “She knows there are many people, including her family of course, who love and support her and who believe in her innocence.”
Isabel Maxwell is seen during the British socialite’s trial in Manhattan on Dec. 20, 2021.REUTERS
Maxwell’s legal ordeal is far from over.
“She will be appealing her conviction. She is a fighter and a survivor,” Ian Maxwell sister.
The convicted madam also faces perjury charges following evidence she gave in the 2016 civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who has claimed she was trafficked to Prince Andrew by Epstein and Maxwell.
Ghislaine Maxwell faces a 65-year prison sentence after being convicted on five of six counts.Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images Ian Maxwell insists Ghislaine has no suicidal thoughts after her conviction.Catherine Nance/Polaris
Maxwell spent more than 500 days in a Brooklyn detention center, much of it in solitary confinement, and could remain there another six months awaiting a sentencing hearing, the report states.

 

[The Bobster]

Ghislaine Maxwell’s husband dumped her for yoga teacher in jailhouse call: report

A close friend of Maxwell told the Mail on Sunday that tech entrepreneur Borgerson dumped the notorious madam during a phone call to her in the Metropolitan Detention Center.

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Ghislaine Maxwell’s husband dumped her for yoga teacher in jailhouse call: report​

By
Lee Brown


January 3, 2022 8:04am
Updated









Ghislaine Maxwell’s husband dumped her for yoga teacher in jailhouse call: report






Ghislaine Maxwell’s husband told her he’d dumped her for a yoga teacher during a “confrontational” phone call while she was in solitary confinement, according to a report.
The Post first revealed last month how Scott Borgerson, 46, had been spotted kissing mom of two Kris McGinn during regular outings near his $3.9 million New England estate — while notably skipping every day of his wife’s trial that led to her conviction on sex-trafficking charges last week.
Ghislaine Maxwell’s husband, Scott Borgerson, left her for a yoga instructor, according to a Daily Mail report.David McGlynn
A close friend of Maxwell told the Mail on Sunday that tech entrepreneur Borgerson dumped the notorious madam during a phone call to her in the Metropolitan Detention Center, the Brooklyn lockup where she’s being housed under solitary confinement.
“There was a dramatic phone call between them, while she was in jail in solitary confinement. It became confrontational,” the source told the UK paper, without giving an exact timeline.
Borgerson reportedly ended his marriage to disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell during a heated call.Josh Reynolds for The New York P
“Scott told her he had moved on and was seeing someone else.
“The marriage was past tense there and then. It’s over. The marriage was over before the trial started,” the source reportedly insisted.
Another insider pointed to the absence of Borgerson from wife Maxwell’s trial while the rest of her family publicly supported her at the trial.
According to Mail insiders, the marriage was already over before Maxwell’s trial even began.Arctic Circle Assembly Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty on five out of six charges related to sex-trafficking young girls with Jeffrey Epstein. REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg
“He did not attend a single day of her trial. Read into that what you will,” the insider told the Mail.
Borgerson had married Maxwell, who turned 60 on Christmas Day, in 2016, but they kept it a secret from almost everyone — even the British media heiress’ own devoted family.
The secret marriage only emerged in court papers in 2020 when Borgerson tried to get his wife freed with a $28.5 million bail package.
Scott Borgerson and Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly married in 2016 but kept it a secret from everyone — including Maxwell’s family. MEGA
One of the Mail’s insiders insisted that he initially planned to stay by Maxwell’s side, but her ongoing confinement ahead of her explosive trial proved too challenging.
“She has been behind bars for 549 days now. It put a terrible strain on the marriage,” the insider said.
While his wife was tried for supplying underage girls to her ex, pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Borgerson was parading around Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass., with McGinn — a yoga enthusiast who “has an ass that could crack open a walnut,” one admirer previously told The Post.
“He gives her a kissy kiss” every time they’re together, one observer previously told The Post when we first revealed his get-togethers with the mom of two.
He would openly pick up his new gal pal in his black Tesla S or trendy black Mini Cooper — which the Mail said was Maxwell’s car before she was busted after a long time in apparent hiding.
While Maxwell’s husband was not in court, her two brothers and two sisters were regular supporters and have continued to insist in interviews since her conviction that she is innocent.
Maxwell’s family still claims she is innocent despite the recent conviction.ZUMA24.com
“Her siblings remain loyal and united. They believe in her innocence and they believe that one day she will walk free,” the Mail’s source said.
“They have put their own friendships, reputations and business opportunities aside to support their sister. They believe she will prevail.”

 

[The Bobster]

Secret Jeffrey Epstein deal with Prince Andrew accuser set to be made public Monday

The secret Jeffrey Epstein deal that Prince Andrew believes protects him from his sex-assault lawsuit is expected to be made public Monday.

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Secret Jeffrey Epstein deal with Prince Andrew accuser set to be made public Monday​

By
Lee Brown


January 3, 2022 8:48am
Updated









Secret Jeffrey Epstein deal with Prince Andrew accuser set to be made public Monday








The secret Jeffrey Epstein deal that Prince Andrew believes protects him from his sexual assault lawsuit is expected to be made public Monday.
The late pedophile inked the agreement in 2009 with longtime accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who is suing Andrew, 61, for allegedly having sex with her three times when she was 17.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre is suing Prince Andrew for allegedly having sex with her three times when she was 17.© Neil Hall/PA Wire via ZUMA Press
The UK royal has insisted the sealed deal shields him and others “from any and all liability” because Epstein intended for it to cover anyone Giuffre might sue.
Manhattan federal Judges Loretta Preska and Lewis Kaplan ruled last month that the deal will be made public sometime Monday.
In their ruling, the judges questioned “whether any proper purpose would be served by the continued secrecy of the document save, perhaps, the dollar amount the settlement provided it for.”
Jeffrey Epstein signed the agreement in 2009 with Virginia Roberts Giuffre.New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File
The expected release comes in a pivotal week in the case, with a hearing scheduled Tuesday to hear Andrew’s motion to dismiss the case.
Giuffre has long maintained that she was forced by Epstein and his convicted madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, to have sex three times with the UK royal after being introduced to him in 2001 in London.
Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, has not been criminally charged and has vehemently denied the allegations that saw him dumped from royal duties.
Virginia Giuffre has said she was forced by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with Prince Andrew.Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images Giuffre said the Maxwell conviction is something she will never forget.BACKGRID
Last week, his close friend Maxwell — the daughter of disgraced media baron Robert Maxwell — was convicted for her role in supplying underage girls to Epstein, who had been her longtime boyfriend.
Maxwell, who was dubbed a “sophisticated predator” who committed “one of the worst crimes imaginable,” faces up to 65 years in prison.
Hours after the conviction, Giuffre said she “will remember this day always.”
Prince Andrew has not been criminally charged in the case.STEVE PARSONS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
“My soul yearned for justice for years and today the jury gave me just that,” she tweeted.
“I hope that today is not the end but rather another step in justice being served. Maxwell did not act alone. Others must be held accountable. I have faith that they will be,” she wrote.
Epstein, 66, died in prison in 2019 — a victim of suicide, authorities say — while awaiting trial on child sex charges.

 

[The Bobster]

French model agent pal of Jeffrey Epstein found hanged in prison cell

Jean-Luc Brunel, 74, was found hanged in his cell at La Sante where he had been remanded in custody since December 2020, awaiting trial on sexual assault and rape.

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French model agent pal of Jeffrey Epstein found hanged in prison cell​

By
Isabel Vincent and

Dana Kennedy


February 19, 2022 8:33am
Updated









Prison authorities find model agent linked to Epstein dead





The French model agent who was charged with securing girls and young women for billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein was found dead Saturday in a Paris prison cell, prosecutors said.
Jean-Luc Brunel, 74, was found hanged by his bedsheets in his cell around 1:30 a.m. local time at La Sante prison, the Paris prosecutor’s office told CNN.
Brunel, who ran Karin Models in Paris, and later formed MC2 Model Management with Epstein, was awaiting trial on charges of sexual assault and rape. He was also being investigated for trafficking minors, including girls as young as 12 years old, according to French news reports.
Brunel’s lawyers insisted that the disgraced fashion fixture’s “decision was not guided by guilt, but by a sense of injustice.”

Jean-Luc Brunel, 74, was found hanged in his cell at La Sante.MEGA Brunel, pictured here with Maxwell, has been the subject of disturbing sexual-abuse allegations for decades.MEGA
“Jean-Luc Brunel has never stopped claiming his innocence. He has multiplied his efforts to prove it. A judge had released him a few months ago, and then he was re-incarcerated in undignified conditions,” his lawyers Mathias Chichportich, Marianne Abgrall and Christophe Ingrain said in a statement to CNN.


Brunel — who was credited with launching the careers of models Christy Turlington, Monica Belluci and Angie Everhart — went into hiding after Epstein’s own suicide in a Manhattan lockup in August 2019.


French police arrested Brunel in December 2020 as part of a probe into “acts of sexual nature” believed to have been committed by Epstein and accomplices.


He was released under judicial supervision for a few days in November 2021, only to return to custody following a decision by a court of appeals, CNN reported.

Brunel was the founder of Karin Models agency.Starface / Polaris Brunel was introduced to Epstein by British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.AP
The deaths of Epstein and Brunel, under similar circumstances, have riled up conspiracy theorists who believe that both men were privy to the secrets of some of the world’s most powerful players, including politicians and financiers.


“It was very convenient and yes suspicious,” a veteran Paris police detective told The Post, who nonetheless said he was not yet convinced Brunel was “suicided.”


Another Paris-based photographer who worked with Brunel added, “It’s weird.”


Brunel, who worked as a model agent in Paris since the late 1970s, was introduced to Epstein by his former gal pal, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking last year.


Ian Maxwell, Ghislaine’s brother, called Brunel’s death “really shocking.”

Brunel, pictured with Maxwell onboard Epstein’s private jet dubbed the Lolita Express.US DOJ/ MEGA
“Another death by hanging in a high-security prison. My reaction is one of total shock and bewilderment,” he told The Post.


Maxwell, one of Ghislaine’s four siblings, said the family now “fears for her safety” at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn where she is being held.


Though he noted that it was “ironic” that Ghislaine is under suicide watch, while Brunel and Epstein were not at the time of their deaths in their respective prisons.

Brunel was found hanged in his cell in Paris’ Sante prison.AFP via Getty Images
“She was deemed a suicide risk and they are now waking her up every 15 minutes. It’s a complete violation of prisoner rights and human rights,” he said.


French prison authorities told Le Parisien that “no breach” in security at the prison where Brunel was being housed had occurred, and an investigation into the cause of death had been opened.


The prison is known for its brutal conditions as well as housing some of the world’s most notorious criminals like Carlos the Jackal, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of an informant for the French government and two French counterintelligence agents.

 

[The Bobster]

ttps://nypost.com/2022/06/28/ghislaine-maxwell-sentencing-live-updates-and-latest-news/

Ghislaine Maxwell sentencing live updates: Vic feels ‘vindicated and validated’​

By
Post Staff Report


June 28, 2022 4:29pm Updated









Elizabeth Stein and Sarah Ransome leaving Ghislaine Maxwell's sentencing



0:00
/
1:32







Follow the New York Post’s up-to-the-minute coverage of Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison sentencing Tuesday following her conviction on multiple counts of sexual abuse.

2 hours ago

Victims leave Ghislaine Maxwell sentencing​

By Katherine Donlevy
Annie Farmer, a victim of Jeffrey Epstein, reacts outside United States court along with lawyer Sigrid McCawley.REUTERS/Mike Segar Farmer speaks to reporters.TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images Sarah Ransome, second from right, and Elizabeth Stein, right, tell reporters that they feel validated after the sentencing.AP/Seth Wenig News reporters line the sidewalk outside United States court as people file out after the sentencing.REUTERS/Mike Segar



3 hours ago

Maxwell's family 'solidly behind her,' brother says​

By Elizabeth Rosner




Kevin Maxwell address reporters after sister Ghislane's sentencing


Ghislaine Maxwell's family is "solidly behind her," her brother Kevin Maxwell told reporters outside the courthouse.
"We have nothing to add to the very heartfelt statement that Ghislaine gave in court and nothing to add to the comments that she made to the victims and her sincere hope that the trial and the conviction will allow the victims some closure," he said.
"Ghislaine will be exercising her right to appeal. We the family will be solidly behind her all the way."
Isabel, Kevin, and Christine Maxwell leave the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse.Alec Tabak




3 hours ago

'Vindication and validation,' accuser Elizabeth Stein says of sentence​

By Elizabeth Rosner
"This is a nice piece of a vindication and validation," Ghislaine Epstein and Jeffrey Maxwell accuser Elizabeth Stein said outside the courthouse.
Stein, who addressed the court during the hearing, said she was surprised that Maxwell decided to speak and that it was "unnerving" to hear her voice at first.




Elizabeth Stein and Sarah Ransome leaving Ghislaine Maxwell's sentencing


"I kept reminding myself she was in front of me in shackles being sentenced and Sarah [Ransome] and I were there sitting together free."
Stein said she thought the 20-year sentence was "reasonable," adding, "We are happy to finally have some closure and start a new chapter in our lives."
Elizabeth Stein, right, and Sarah Ransome leave the federal courthouse.AP/Seth Wenig



3 hours ago

'"I am sorry" does not cut it': Maxwell accuser Sarah Ransome​

By Elizabeth Rosner
Asked about Ghislaine Maxwell's apology in court, Sarah Ransome told reporters, "I wish she was sorry when she was forcing me into a room to be raped. That's when I wish she was sorry."
Ransome, who delivered an emotional statement during the hearing, said, "To force someone into a room to be raped ... There is not enough 'sorry' in the world."
"'I am sorry' does not cut it," she said outside the courthouse. "Actions speak louder than words. I hope she does the same, but I know the real Ghislaine."
Sarah Ransome, left, told reporters that an apology from Maxwell "does not cut it."AP/Seth Wenig




3 hours ago

Maxwell attorney says she will appeal​

By M'Niyah Lynn
Outside the courthouse, Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorney Bobbi Sternheim told reporters her client would appeal, saying she had been “sentenced to an extremely long term.”
Ghislaine Maxwell's attorney Bobbi Sternheim arrives at federal court in New York on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.AP/Seth Wenig



4 hours ago

Judge wants to send Maxwell to Connecticut prison​

By Ben Kesslen
Judge Alison Nathan said she will recommend that Ghislaine Maxwell be sent to the Danbury, Connecticut, Federal Correctional Institution after her lawyers asked the judge that she serve out her time there.
The low-security federal prison was the inspiration for the fictional prison in the Netflix show "Orange Is The New Black."
Judge Alison Nathan, here in a courtroom sketch, will recommend Maxwell is sent to the Danbury, Connecticut Federal Correctional Institution.REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg



AD
4 hours ago

US attorney: 'This sentence sends a strong message'​

By Ben Kesslen
US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams praised the sentencing decision made on Tuesday.
“Today’s sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for perpetrating heinous crimes against children," he said in a statement. "This sentence sends a strong message that no one is above the law and it is never too late for justice.
"We again express our gratitude to [Jeffrey] Epstein and Maxwell’s victims for their courage in coming forward, in testifying at trial, and in sharing their stories as part of today’s sentencing," he added.
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said "today’s sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable."APCarolyn Kaster



4 hours ago

Breaking down Maxwell's sentence​

By Ben Kesslen
Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but she'll be serving time on three counts concurrently.
The judge sentenced her to five years for one count, 10 years for another, and 20 years for a third.
She was also ordered to pay a fine of $750,000 after the judge rejected her lawyers' claim that she would be unable to fork over the money.
Maxwell will also have five years of supervised release following her prison time.



AD
4 hours ago

Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years in Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking case​

By Ben Feuerherd, Elizabeth Rosner and Ben Kesslen
Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 in prison Tuesday for her role in helping powerful pedophile Jeffrey Epstein abuse young girls, capping off a dramatic fall from grace for the British socialite-turned-convicted sex-trafficker.
Ghislaine Maxwell, right, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, left, will pay 20 years for her crimes against multiple young women.Patrick McMullan via Getty Image
Maxwell’s sentencing marked the end of the federal criminal proceedings against her in the Southern District of New York, where she was brought after her arrest at a sprawling New Hampshire estate in July 2020.
READ MORE



4 hours ago

Judge: Maxwell is not being punished for Epstein's crimes​

By Ben Kesslen and Elizabeth Rosner
Judge Alison Nathan, mulling the sentence, said that Ghislaine Maxwell "is not being punished in place of [Jeffrey] Epstein or in proxy of Epstein."
She also said the fact that Maxwell was wealthy and that the case was high-profile wouldn't affect her decision.
"Whether you are powerful or entirely unknown, nobody is above the law," she said.
Maxwell is not being punished in place of Epstein, the judge assured during sentencing.ZUMA24.com




5 hours ago

Maxwell apologizes to victims for 'pain that you experienced'​

By Ben Kesslen and Elizabeth Rosner
Ghislaine Maxwell looked at her victims, saying, "I am sorry for the pain that you experienced."
"I hope my conviction and harsh incarceration brings you pleasure."
READ MORE



5 hours ago

Maxwell tells court Epstein was 'manipulative' and 'cunning'​

By Ben Kesslen and Elizabeth Rosner
“I believe that Jeffrey Epstein was a manipulative, cunning and controlling man who lived a profoundly compartmentalized life and fooled all of those in his orbit,” Ghislaine Maxwell told the court.
In this courtroom sketch, Ghislaine Maxwell givers her statement in federal court on June 28, 2022.Elizabeth Williams/AP
She said the pedophile financier, who killed himself behind bars in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, "should have been here before all of you."
But she admitted, "Today is not about Epstein. It is for me to ultimately be sentenced."




5 hours ago

Ghislaine Maxwell addresses the court​

By Ben Kesslen
Ghislaine Maxwell is now addressing the judge.
Maxwell addressed the court Tuesday.Jane Rosenberg/REUTERS
"It is hard for me to address the court after listening to the pain and anguish expressed in the statements made here today," she said, referring to the victims who spoke earlier.



5 hours ago

Epstein 'clearly' more guilty than Maxwell, her lawyer says​

By Ben Kesslen and Elizabeth Rosner
Ghislaine Maxwell's attorney Bobbi Sternheim is arguing against the minimum 30-year sentence that prosecutors have requested. She said the sentencing guideline range of roughly 15 to 19 is "more reasonable."
"Jeffrey Epstein would have faced the same" sentencing guidelines, "and he is clearly far more culpable than Maxwell," she said.
The attorney brought up Maxwell's childhood in asking for leniency, saying the disgraced socialite's teenage years were "overwhelmed" by her "narcissistic, brutish father," the publishing baron Robert Maxwell.

__________


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Ghislaine Maxwell sentencing live updates: Vic feels ‘vindicated and validated’​

By
Post Staff Report


June 28, 2022 4:29pm Updated









Elizabeth Stein and Sarah Ransome leaving Ghislaine Maxwell's sentencing



0:00
/
1:32







Follow the New York Post’s up-to-the-minute coverage of Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison sentencing Tuesday following her conviction on multiple counts of sexual abuse.






2 hours ago

Victims leave Ghislaine Maxwell sentencing​

By Katherine Donlevy
Annie Farmer, a victim of Jeffrey Epstein, reacts outside United States court along with lawyer Sigrid McCawley.REUTERS/Mike Segar Farmer speaks to reporters.TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images Sarah Ransome, second from right, and Elizabeth Stein, right, tell reporters that they feel validated after the sentencing.AP/Seth Wenig News reporters line the sidewalk outside United States court as people file out after the sentencing.REUTERS/Mike Segar



3 hours ago

Maxwell's family 'solidly behind her,' brother says​

By Elizabeth Rosner




Kevin Maxwell address reporters after sister Ghislane's sentencing


Ghislaine Maxwell's family is "solidly behind her," her brother Kevin Maxwell told reporters outside the courthouse.
"We have nothing to add to the very heartfelt statement that Ghislaine gave in court and nothing to add to the comments that she made to the victims and her sincere hope that the trial and the conviction will allow the victims some closure," he said.
"Ghislaine will be exercising her right to appeal. We the family will be solidly behind her all the way."
Isabel, Kevin, and Christine Maxwell leave the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse.Alec Tabak




3 hours ago

'Vindication and validation,' accuser Elizabeth Stein says of sentence​

By Elizabeth Rosner
"This is a nice piece of a vindication and validation," Ghislaine Epstein and Jeffrey Maxwell accuser Elizabeth Stein said outside the courthouse.
Stein, who addressed the court during the hearing, said she was surprised that Maxwell decided to speak and that it was "unnerving" to hear her voice at first.




Elizabeth Stein and Sarah Ransome leaving Ghislaine Maxwell's sentencing


"I kept reminding myself she was in front of me in shackles being sentenced and Sarah [Ransome] and I were there sitting together free."
Stein said she thought the 20-year sentence was "reasonable," adding, "We are happy to finally have some closure and start a new chapter in our lives."
Elizabeth Stein, right, and Sarah Ransome leave the federal courthouse.AP/Seth Wenig



3 hours ago

'"I am sorry" does not cut it': Maxwell accuser Sarah Ransome​

By Elizabeth Rosner
Asked about Ghislaine Maxwell's apology in court, Sarah Ransome told reporters, "I wish she was sorry when she was forcing me into a room to be raped. That's when I wish she was sorry."
Ransome, who delivered an emotional statement during the hearing, said, "To force someone into a room to be raped ... There is not enough 'sorry' in the world."
"'I am sorry' does not cut it," she said outside the courthouse. "Actions speak louder than words. I hope she does the same, but I know the real Ghislaine."
Sarah Ransome, left, told reporters that an apology from Maxwell "does not cut it."AP/Seth Wenig




3 hours ago

Maxwell attorney says she will appeal​

By M'Niyah Lynn
Outside the courthouse, Ghislaine Maxwell’s attorney Bobbi Sternheim told reporters her client would appeal, saying she had been “sentenced to an extremely long term.”
Ghislaine Maxwell's attorney Bobbi Sternheim arrives at federal court in New York on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.AP/Seth Wenig



4 hours ago

Judge wants to send Maxwell to Connecticut prison​

By Ben Kesslen
Judge Alison Nathan said she will recommend that Ghislaine Maxwell be sent to the Danbury, Connecticut, Federal Correctional Institution after her lawyers asked the judge that she serve out her time there.
The low-security federal prison was the inspiration for the fictional prison in the Netflix show "Orange Is The New Black."
Judge Alison Nathan, here in a courtroom sketch, will recommend Maxwell is sent to the Danbury, Connecticut Federal Correctional Institution.REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg



AD
4 hours ago

US attorney: 'This sentence sends a strong message'​

By Ben Kesslen
US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams praised the sentencing decision made on Tuesday.
“Today’s sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for perpetrating heinous crimes against children," he said in a statement. "This sentence sends a strong message that no one is above the law and it is never too late for justice.
"We again express our gratitude to [Jeffrey] Epstein and Maxwell’s victims for their courage in coming forward, in testifying at trial, and in sharing their stories as part of today’s sentencing," he added.
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said "today’s sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable."APCarolyn Kaster



4 hours ago

Breaking down Maxwell's sentence​

By Ben Kesslen
Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison, but she'll be serving time on three counts concurrently.
The judge sentenced her to five years for one count, 10 years for another, and 20 years for a third.
She was also ordered to pay a fine of $750,000 after the judge rejected her lawyers' claim that she would be unable to fork over the money.
Maxwell will also have five years of supervised release following her prison time.



AD
4 hours ago

Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years in Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking case​

By Ben Feuerherd, Elizabeth Rosner and Ben Kesslen
Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 in prison Tuesday for her role in helping powerful pedophile Jeffrey Epstein abuse young girls, capping off a dramatic fall from grace for the British socialite-turned-convicted sex-trafficker.
Ghislaine Maxwell, right, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein, left, will pay 20 years for her crimes against multiple young women.Patrick McMullan via Getty Image
Maxwell’s sentencing marked the end of the federal criminal proceedings against her in the Southern District of New York, where she was brought after her arrest at a sprawling New Hampshire estate in July 2020.
READ MORE



4 hours ago

Judge: Maxwell is not being punished for Epstein's crimes​

By Ben Kesslen and Elizabeth Rosner
Judge Alison Nathan, mulling the sentence, said that Ghislaine Maxwell "is not being punished in place of [Jeffrey] Epstein or in proxy of Epstein."
She also said the fact that Maxwell was wealthy and that the case was high-profile wouldn't affect her decision.
"Whether you are powerful or entirely unknown, nobody is above the law," she said.
Maxwell is not being punished in place of Epstein, the judge assured during sentencing.ZUMA24.com




5 hours ago

Maxwell apologizes to victims for 'pain that you experienced'​

By Ben Kesslen and Elizabeth Rosner
Ghislaine Maxwell looked at her victims, saying, "I am sorry for the pain that you experienced."
"I hope my conviction and harsh incarceration brings you pleasure."
READ MORE



5 hours ago

Maxwell tells court Epstein was 'manipulative' and 'cunning'​

By Ben Kesslen and Elizabeth Rosner
“I believe that Jeffrey Epstein was a manipulative, cunning and controlling man who lived a profoundly compartmentalized life and fooled all of those in his orbit,” Ghislaine Maxwell told the court.
In this courtroom sketch, Ghislaine Maxwell givers her statement in federal court on June 28, 2022.Elizabeth Williams/AP
She said the pedophile financier, who killed himself behind bars in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, "should have been here before all of you."
But she admitted, "Today is not about Epstein. It is for me to ultimately be sentenced."




5 hours ago

Ghislaine Maxwell addresses the court​

By Ben Kesslen
Ghislaine Maxwell is now addressing the judge.
Maxwell addressed the court Tuesday.Jane Rosenberg/REUTERS
"It is hard for me to address the court after listening to the pain and anguish expressed in the statements made here today," she said, referring to the victims who spoke earlier.



5 hours ago

Epstein 'clearly' more guilty than Maxwell, her lawyer says​

By Ben Kesslen and Elizabeth Rosner
Ghislaine Maxwell's attorney Bobbi Sternheim is arguing against the minimum 30-year sentence that prosecutors have requested. She said the sentencing guideline range of roughly 15 to 19 is "more reasonable."
"Jeffrey Epstein would have faced the same" sentencing guidelines, "and he is clearly far more culpable than Maxwell," she said.
The attorney brought up Maxwell's childhood in asking for leniency, saying the disgraced socialite's teenage years were "overwhelmed" by her "narcissistic, brutish father," the publishing baron Robert Maxwell.
"She has lived the entirety of her life under giant clouds that have cast very dark shadows," Sternheim said.
The attorney also noted that Maxwell is 60 and doesn't have a history of violence, and said she poses no danger to society.
"The court should not send her away for the rest of her life," she said.




5 hours ago

Maxwell 'fed me' to Jeffrey Epstein, accuser says​

By Ben Kesslen and Elizabeth Rosner
Elizabeth Stein, who said she was "assaulted, raped and trafficked countless times" in New York and Florida over three years, told the judge that Ghislaine Maxwell "fed me" to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
"Overcoming what happened to me became my decades-long, full-time career," she said in court.
"For over two and a half decades, I felt like I was in prison. [Maxwell] had her life. It’s time to have mine. She needs to be in prison so her victims can all finally be free."



5 hours ago

Sarah Ransome describes escape attempt from Epstein's island​

By Ben Kesslen and Elizabeth Rosner
Sarah Ransome broke down in tears as she addressed the court. She described her harrowing attempt to escape from Jeffrey Epstein's island by trying to "jump off a cliff into shark-infested waters."
"Like Hotel California, you could check into the Epstein-Maxwell dungeon of sexual hell, but you could never leave," she said.
Ransome broke down as she told the judge, "I frequently experience flashbacks and wake up in a cold sweat from nightmares reliving the awful experience."
She said she twice attempted suicide, adding, "I know that only by the grace of God do I continue to live."




5 hours ago

Virginia Giuffre: Maxwell and Epstein did 'unthinkable things'​

By Ben Kesslen and Elizabeth Rosner
A lawyer for Virginia Giuffre is reading a statement on her behalf describing how Ghislaine Maxwell lured her into Jeffrey Epstein's orbit after meeting her at Mar-a-Lago when she was a teen.
"Together, you did unthinkable things that still have a corrosive impact on me to this day," the statement said.
Ghislaine Maxwell looks on in court during her sentencing hearing.REUTERS
"I want to be clear about one thing: Without question, Jeffrey Epstein was a terrible pedophile. But I never would have met Jeffrey Epstein if not for you," it said.
"You could have put an end to the rapes, the molestations, the sickening manipulations that you arranged, witnessed and even took part in. You could’ve called the authorities and reported that you were a part of something awful."
She added: "There is not a day that goes by that I don’t ask, 'Why?' Why, Ghislaine, did you enjoy hurting us so much?"
A courtroom sketch shows Maxwell arriving in shackles earlier in the day.REUTERS
"Ghislaine, you deserve to spend the rest of your life in a jail cell. You deserve to be trapped in a cage forever, just like you trapped your victims."



5 hours ago

Maxwell victims: 'United to bring justice to a common enemy'​

By Ben Kesslen and Elizabeth Rosner
Kate, a British model who testified against Ghislaine Maxwell at her trial, said the disgraced socialite's victims are "united to bring justice to a common enemy."
"No person should be shielded from the consequences of their actions," she told the court.
She described Maxwell as a "manipulative and cruel" person who has shown a "lack of remorse ... for how she ruined the lives of countless women and children."
Kate added that she spoke at the sentencing to say: "Enough is enough."
Staring at Maxwell, she said, "Today I can look at Ghislaine and tell her that I became what I am today in spite of her and her efforts to make me feel powerless and insignificant."