Jeffrey Epstein presents $77m NY mansion as a part of bond

Jeffrey Epstein provided his $77m Manhattan mansion as a part of a bond to safe bail in a courtroom movement on Thursday that previewed how his attorneys will combat federal intercourse trafficking fees in opposition to the cash supervisor.

Mr Epstein is presently in jail after his arrest final weekend on fees that he allegedly trafficked and sexually abused underage girls between 2002 and 2005. He pleaded not responsible to the fees in an preliminary listening to on Monday.

The case introduced by the Manhattan US lawyer’s workplace got here greater than a decade after a controversial plea deal in Miami that prevented a federal indictment on the time. In 2008, he pleaded responsible to state prostitution offences.

Within the submitting on Thursday, Mr Epstein’s attorneys argued that he posed no hazard to the group and mentioned prosecutors had alleged no misconduct since 2005.

“Any hazard that Mr. Epstein might have as soon as posed to the group has lengthy since abated,” mentioned the attorneys, Reid Weingarten, Martin Weinberg and Marc Allan Fernich.

Mr Epstein provided a “substantial” bond secured by a $77m mortgage on his Manhattan mansion, in addition to residence detention within the residence. He requested to file details about his funds below seal to permit the courtroom to resolve the bond quantity.

Prosecutors earlier this week urged the decide overseeing the case, Richard Berman, to maintain the 66-year-old financier in jail pending his trial, pointing to his wealth and entry to 2 personal jets as proof that he might flee the nation.

Mr Epstein’s legal professionals previewed two key components of their defence within the submitting. They argued that the non-prosecution settlement struck in 2007 by Alexander Acosta, the US labour secretary who was then the US lawyer in Miami, barred the brand new indictment.

In addition they mentioned the alleged conduct didn’t quantity to trafficking, arguing that there have been no claims he “trafficked anyone for industrial revenue; that he pressured, coerced, defrauded, or enslaved anyone”.

“The principal conduct underlying the indictment is Mr. Epstein’s fee of cash for massages that purportedly escalated to alleged intercourse acts,” they wrote, likening it to “client or purchaser behaviour”.