Ghislaine Maxwell could be locked up in the same scandal-plagued Manhattan jail where Jeffery Epstein killed himself when she’s transferred to New York to face child sex trafficking charges.
By MEGAN SHEETS
- Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested for sex trafficking Thursday in New Hampshire
- She is expected to be transferred to New York – where she is being charged – in the coming days
- Maxwell will likely be housed at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan or the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn
- MCC is where Jeffrey Epstein was found dead of an apparent suicide last August while awaiting trial on a slew of sex-trafficking charges
- The lockup came under scrutiny in the wake of Epstein’s death amid questions over how he hanged himself while he was supposed to be under close watch
Ghislaine Maxwell could end up in the same jail where Jeffery Epstein committed suicide last year when she is transferred to New York to face child sex trafficking charges.
Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend and alleged madam, was arrested on Thursday morning in Bradford, New Hampshire, for helping the millionaire pedophile procure and sexually abuse young girls.
At an afternoon court hearing Maxwell’s attorneys agreed to have the case moved to the Southern District of New York – where she is being charged.
She is being held without bail after prosecutors convinced the judge that she is a flight risk due to her international network of friends and access to unlimited resources.
Maxwell is expected to be transferred to New York City on Friday or Monday, where she could be housed at one of two federal lockups – the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan or the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Manhattan’s MCC is where Epstein was found dead of an apparent suicide last August while awaiting trial on a slew of sex-trafficking charges.
The lockup came under fierce scrutiny in the wake of Epstein’s death amid questions over how he was able to hang himself while he was supposed to be under close supervision – as the financier’s family insisted that he was murdered.
Two MCC guards have pleaded not guilty to charges for falsifying records and failing to check on inmates in the hours before Epstein died.
The jail faced further criticism in May after a court-ordered inspection found it was failing to adequately protect inmates from the coronavirus.
At a press conference announcing the charges against Maxwell, acting US Attorney Audrey Strauss was asked if any special precautions would be taken to ensure the defendant’s safety in custody.
‘As you know, we are sensitive to that concern and certainly we’ll be in dialogue with the Bureau of Prisons about it,’ Strauss said in response.
Jack Donson, a consultant who formerly worked for the federal Bureau of Prisons, told Bloomberg News that it’s possible federal officials will choose to hold Maxwell somewhere outside of New York to avoid press attention.
‘Maybe they’ll want to get her out of New York entirely,’ Donson said, adding that Maxwell will need to be evaluated for suicide and other risks no matter where she ends up.
‘Maybe they’ll want to get her out of New York entirely,’ Donson said, adding that Maxwell will need to be evaluated for suicide and other risks no matter where she ends up.
A grand jury returned a sealed, six-count indictment against Maxwell on June 29, almost a year after Epstein was charged.
It accuses her of enticing underage girls to travel for sex, actually having sex with them and Epstein and later lying about it under oath in depositions when she was being sued by Virginia Giuffre Roberts, one of Epstein’s accusers who says she had sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17.
The charges against Maxwell are: Conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, Enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, Transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and two counts of perjury.
If convicted, she could face life in prison on the most serious charge – transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity – which carries a minimum 10 year sentence.
Audrey Strauss, acting US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, gestures as she speaks during a news conference to announce charges against Maxwell on Thursday
- Maxwell groomed three unnamed girls, all under the age of 18, in London, New York and Florida, and New Mexico between 1994 and 1997
- She befriended them by taking them to the movies or on shopping sprees and ‘normalized’ abusive behavior by getting undressed in front of them herself
- She encouraged them to travel to meet Epstein and engage in sex acts with them and him like ‘group massage sex’ in Epstein’s homes
- Her introduction of them to him resulted in him abusing them when she was not present
- She lied in 2016 depositions while being sued by Virginia Giuffre Roberts that she’d never groomed or had sex with underage girls herself
During her first court appearance prosecutors warned that Maxwell has a ‘strong incentive’ to flee if she’s not detained because she faces years in prison.
‘That risk is only amplified by the defendant’s extensive international ties, her citizenship in two foreign countries, her wealth, and her lack of meaningful ties to the United States,’ a detention memo states.
‘In short, Maxwell has three passports, large sums of money, extensive international connections, and absolutely no reason to stay’ in the US.
Original source : https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8486007/Ghislaine-Maxwell-land-Manhattan-jail-Jeffery-Epstein-killed-himself.html
