Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend alleges a guard abused her in Brooklyn's federal jail
Ghislaine Maxwell also said she was punished for complaining about it.
By AP | Updated:
AP
Ghislaine Maxwell is awaiting a July trial on charges that she recruited three teenage girls for Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse in the 1990s and committed perjury during 2016 depositions in a civil case.
NEW YORK: Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend claimed through her lawyer Tuesday that a guard physically abused her at a federal lockup in Brooklyn, and then she was punished for complaining about it.
The lawyer said the British socialite asked that a camera be used to capture what was occurring, but a guard "replied 'no.'"
"When Ms. Maxwell recoiled in pain and when she said she would report the mistreatment, she was threatened with disciplinary action," Sternheim said.
Days later, Maxwell was retaliated against for reporting the abuse when a guard ordered her into a shower to clean, sanitize, and scrub the walls with a broom, the lawyer said. She added that Maxwell was denied a request that the encounter with the guard in the tight space be recorded.
A spokesperson for prosecutors declined comment. A message seeking comment was sent to the federal Bureau of Prisons.
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Maxwell, 59, is awaiting a July trial on charges that she recruited three teenage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse in the 1990s and committed perjury during 2016 depositions in a civil case. She has pleaded not guilty.
She has remained incarcerated without bail since July, when she was arrested almost exactly a year after Epstein was arrested to face sex trafficking charges. Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan jail a month after his arrest.
File photo of October 2020: A deposition that British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell gave in 2016 relating to her dealings with the late Jeffrey Epstein is pictured in the Manhattan borough of New York City. In late December, a judge rejected a $28.5 million bail proposal for Maxwell, saying she was a risk to flee and was not forthcoming with authorities about her finances after her arrest.
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As part of the bail proposal, lawyers said Maxwell had about $22.5 million in assets with her husband and had set aside over $7 million for her defense.
In Tuesday's letter, Sternheim repeated assertions made before that Maxwell is being subjected to onerous conditions that include repeated searches and being awakened every 15 minutes by a light flashed into her cell when she sleeps. The lawyer said the prison is reacting to Epstein's suicide.
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Sternheim said Maxwell has been physically searched approximately 1,400 times in the last seven months and no contraband has ever been found despite hundreds of physical searches of the cell where she lives alone as well as her locker, legal papers, and personal effects.
She said her client is under 24-hour surveillance by two-to-six guards and approximately 18 cameras, not including a hand-held camera trained on her when she is moved outside the cell.
Meanwhile, harsh treatment that includes food so poorly prepared that it sometimes cannot be eaten has taken a toll, the lawyer said.
"She is withering to a shell of her former self - losing weight, losing hair, and losing her ability to concentrate," Sternheim wrote. "In addition to the many difficulties impacting her review of electronic discovery materials, the over-management and stress are impacting her stamina and effectiveness in preparing her defense and conferring with counsel."
From Jeffrey Epstein To Harshad Mehta: Millionaires Who Died Behind The Bars
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Incarceration can have unintended consequences. From Jeffrey Epstein (L) to Harshad Mehta (R), some big names have died behind bars.
Incarceration can have unintended consequences. From Jeffrey Epstein (L) to Harshad Mehta (R), some big names have died behind bars.
The well-connected New York financier, Epstein was found dead on August 10 in his Manhattan jail cell while awaiting a federal trial for sex traffi cking. The charge sheet accuses him of paying minor girls to perform sex acts at his mansion between 2002 and 2005. He was placed on suicide watch in July after he reportedly attempted to strangulate himself. His estate is worth approximately $500 million.
The well-connected New York financier, Epstein was found dead on August 10 in his Manhattan jail cell while awaiting a federal trial for sex traffi cking. The charge sheet accuses him of paying minor..
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Four days after his arrest from New Delhi’s Le Meridien Hotel, Pillai passed away in a cell in Tihar Jail. The official version, which has been contested by his wife, says he died of complications arising from liver cirrhosis. Pillai, who was a stakeholder in Britannia Industries, was charged by Singapore’s Commercial Affairs Department on 22 counts of fraud and breach of trust. He had taken a $17.2 million debt, which he was unable to service. Despite claiming to own Britannia, he owned just 3 per cent of its shares, with the rest managed through a complex web of interlinked companies. Pillai fl ed Singapore for his ancestral home in Kerala, obtaining bail against his extradition, following an Interpol red alert. However, his decision to travel to Delhi did not prove fortuitous. Pillai was arrested, and his appeal for medical treatment wasn’t processed on time.
Four days after his arrest from New Delhi’s Le Meridien Hotel, Pillai passed away in a cell in Tihar Jail. The official version, which has been contested by his wife, says he died of complications ar..
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The Mumbai-based stockbroker, who gained notoriety for a Rs 4,000-crore securities fraud, died in 2001, aged 47. The scam shook the country and changed the rules of the game on Dalal Street. Mehta, who was lodged at Thane Central Jail, was rushed to a hospital after he complained of chest pain. He passed away shortly thereafter. Mehta, who had earned the nickname of the ‘Big Bull’, was accused of manipulating the Bombay Stock Exchange by taking advantage of loopholes in the banking system.
The Mumbai-based stockbroker, who gained notoriety for a Rs 4,000-crore securities fraud, died in 2001, aged 47. The scam shook the country and changed the rules of the game on Dalal Street. Mehta, w..
