Epstein sought to pay off potential witnesses, U.S. prosecutors say

[rooster59]

Epstein sought to pay off potential witnesses, U.S. prosecutors say

By Brendan Pierson

 

U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein appears in a photograph taken for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services' sex offender registry March 28, 2017 and obtained by Reuters July 10, 2019. New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout via REUTERS

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Jailed American financier Jeffrey Epstein made payments to two potential witnesses seeking to influence them in the child sex trafficking case against him late last year, prosecutors said late on Friday.

 

In a filing in Manhattan federal court, prosecutors said Epstein wired a total of $350,000 to the two individuals, who were not named. They said they learned of the payments through records they obtained from a financial institution, which was not identified.

 

Epstein's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

Epstein, 66, was arrested on July 6 at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, where he had returned on his private plane from Paris. He has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and conspiracy and could face up to 45 years in prison.

 

According to an indictment, Epstein arranged for girls under the age of 18 to perform nude "massages" and other sex acts for him in his New York and Florida homes, and paid some girls to recruit others, from at least 2002 to 2005.

 

Epstein had faced similar charges in 2007, but negotiated a deal to avoid federal prosecution and plead guilty to a single Florida state prostitution charge.

 

In a court filing on Thursday, Epstein asked to be allowed to await trial under house arrest in his Manhattan mansion, offering to pay for private armed security.

 

In Friday's filing, however, prosecutors called Epstein "unrepentant and unreformed" and said his payments to possible witnesses, along with the risk he would use his wealth to flee the country, warranted keeping him behind bars.

 

Prosecutors said Epstein paid $100,000 in November to a person identified in his 2007 non-prosecution agreement as a possible co-conspirator. They said he paid $250,000 in December to another person identified in the agreement as a possible co-conspirator and employee.

 

The payments were made shortly after the Miami Herald began publishing a series of articles about Epstein, who was known for socializing with politicians and royalty.

 

"This course of action, and in particular its timing, suggests the defendant was attempting to further influence co-conspirators who might provide information against him in light of the recently re-emerging allegations," the prosecutors said.

 

A hearing on Epstein's bail request is scheduled for Monday morning.

 

(Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall and Daniel Wallis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-07-13

Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking Thailand news and visa info

 

 

[ezzra]

How else is he going to use his billions if not to save his slimy creepy  skin?...

[Chomper Higgot]

And in doing so provided another argument for precisely why he needs to be kept in jail until his trial. 

[nev]

Lock him up and throw away the Key, Seize his money and set up a fund to help child abuse victims around the world.

[robblok]

Pfff Americans    (sorry when it happens in Thailand its always a Thai thing.. thought id make the same ridiculous remark)

[mtls2005]

Seems like he and Paul Manafort will remain cellies at MCC.

 

Can't see him getting bail.

 

Will be interesting to see if AG Barr can manage the fall-out from this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 13, 2019 by mtls2005

[Thingamabob]

1 hour ago, samuttodd said:

https://youtu.be/C5iYJqxRJPY

 

 This is a mind blowing video done by a girl it has really done some research into this subject. And the origins of where it all started.    I know it’s long but this girl aint dumb and her presentation is top notch and it is worth the time.

I agree. Excellent work. 

[metisdead]

Troll posts and replies have been removed. 

[Tug]

Lots of rich and famous guys are squirming this Epstein guy kept recordings notes ect ect to leverage his (guests) wonder if he sold it to folks who need blackmail material?

 

[lannarebirth]

16 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Seems like he and Paul Manafort will remain cellies at MCC.

 

Can't see him getting bail.

 

Will be interesting to see if AG Barr can manage the fall-out from this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isn't it AG Barr whose office overseas the department that brought the charges? You think ths came as surprise to him?  A lot of bad "journalism" so far on this case but this piece is better than most:

 

https://www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-dodged-questions-about-sex-with-his-dalton-prep-school-students?ref=home3

 

Several other well researched articles on the same website.

[metisdead]

A post containing a link to a YouTube subscriber account has been removed as well as a reply. 

[expatfromwyoming]

The grab'em twins

[worgeordie]

7 minutes ago, expatfromwyoming said:

The grab'em twins

Two smug bastards

regards worgeordie

[Tug]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Two smug bastards

regards worgeordie

Two future cellies?

[Sir Swagman]

I would anticipate two potential outcomes here......one is a lot of ‘powerful’ people being exposed as part of this degenerate’s ‘ring’. The other is a death in custody.....then a scramble to squash any stored material he has.

 

[Scott]

Troll post and reply removed. 

 

[Credo]

The sad part of the Epstein saga is two-fold:   First is the political scoring done by various political factions and the other is extreme privilege that the super-rich have in legal matters.   

 

Neither political party, nor any particular religion has any right to be tarring any other group with the Epstein sex-scandal brush.   His circle includes both main political parties and royal families.   Some are more tarnished than others.   But the big question as people argue about one person being more guilty by association than another, is why don't we see that this is BIG money used to pay off numerous people.   Potential witnesses have been paid off and goodness knows what money has changed hand to make sure he receives favorable treatment.   Even if money didn't change hands, I am sure extreme pressure has been put on quite a few.   

It is reasonably sure that Epstein has used blackmail in the past and most likely still has information that could harm very influential people.   

The second issue that at the bottom of this is a wide-ranging network of sexual abuse of underage girls.   They are largely relegated to the dustbin by being labeled as prostitutes or 'being old enough to know what they were doing'.   

 

There are two groups of victims; the young girls who have been abused and the rest of us who have been led to believe it's a chance for political scoring as a very large group of rich, famous and privileged people get by with doing exactly what they wish.