Jeffrey Epstein has been found injured in his New York jail cell in what has been described as a possible suicide attempt or assault
Jeffrey Epstein has reportedly been rushed to hospital after prison guards found the billionaire financier ‘blue in the face’ and sprawled out on the floor of his New York jail cell.
The 66-year-old, who is being held in custody ahead of his trial for sex trafficking, was said to be semi-conscious with neck injuries when he was found in Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center.
Two sources close to the investigation said that he may have tried to hang himself.
But as prison officials scrambled to establish the cause of Epstein’s injuries, a third source has claimed that his injuries were not serious.
They suggested Epstein may be trying to get a transfer to an alternative jail, according to NBC News.
A possible assault has also not been ruled out and fellow inmate Nicholas Tartaglione has reportedly been questioned about an alleged attack – a charge which his attorney is said to strongly deny.
Most recent reports claimed that Epstein had been moved to solitary confinement following a flurry of threats from inmates.
The 66-year-old, who is being held in custody ahead of his trial for sex trafficking, was found injured in his cell at the Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center
Epstein has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls from at least 2002 to 2005
Witnesses told RadarOnline that Epstein was ‘blue in the face’ and was ‘sprawled out on the floor’ as prison guards rushed to treat him in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
At one point, he is said to have lost consciousness before he was eventually carried away.
Due to him being in federal custody, Epstein is locked up in his cell for about 23 hours each day.
The jail is the same facility where notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán was held during his trial.
Epstein, who was initially held in the general population at the jail, was moved to solitary confinement following threats from fellow inmates, a source told the Daily Beast when the move happened.
It is not clear if Epstein was still be held in solitary confinement when he was injured.
Authorities have already spoken to an accused murderer who is being held at the jail.
That inmate, former police officer Nicholas Tartaglione who is accused of killing four men in a cocaine deal gone wrong, reportedly said he hadn’t touched Epstein.
Tartaglione’s attorney has since denied reports his client attacked Epstein and insisted that the pair got along well.
Investigators have already spoken to ex-police officer Nicholas Tartaglione, who is accused of murdering four people, but he has denied touching Epstein
Other law enforcement sources have said that Epstein’s injuries were not serious and speculated that it could be his way of getting a transfer out of the jail.
It comes after Epstein appealed a federal judge’s decision to keep him in the Manhattan jail while he awaits trial.
According to a court notice made public on Tuesday, Epstein will ask the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn the judge’s July 18 rejection of his request to remain under house arrest in his $77 million mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Epstein has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls.
Epstein has appealed to get overturned a judge’s July 18 rejection of his request to remain under house arrest in his $77 million mansion on Manhattan’s Upper East Side (above)
The charges, concerning alleged misconduct from at least 2002 to 2005, were announced more than a decade after Epstein pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges in Florida.
In denying him bail, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan said the government had shown by clear and convincing evidence that Epstein would pose a danger to the community if released pending trial.
‘Epstein’s alleged excessive attraction to sexual conduct with or in the presence of minor girls – which is said to include his soliciting and receiving massages from young girls and young women perhaps as many as four times a day – appears likely to be uncontrollable,’ Berman said in a written decision.
Prosecutors accused Epstein of arranging for girls under the age of 18 to perform nude ‘massages’ and other sex acts, and of paying some girls to recruit others.
They also said there was a high risk Epstein would use his wealth to flee.
Epstein estimated his net worth at $559 million, including a private plane and homes in Paris and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Lawyers for Epstein have said he has had an unblemished record since his 2008 guilty plea, which was part of an agreement negotiated quietly with Alex Acosta, then the U.S. Attorney in Miami.
Epstein served 13 months in jail but was allowed to leave regularly to work.
Prince Andrew was friends with the billionaire in the 1990s when the pair were introduced by British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.
Prince Andrew is pictured with pedophile businessman Jeffrey Epstein as the men stroll around Central Park in December 2010
Jeffrey Epstein went to the White House ‘several times’ during the early days of Bill Clinton’s presidency in the 90s, records show – raising questions about the former president’s claims he only met the billionaire after he left office
Jeffrey Epstein reportedly went to the White House multiple times during the early days of Bill Clinton’s presidency – even though the former president says he had only six encounters with the billionaire sex offender starting from 2002.
Clinton immediately distanced himself from Epstein when the New York financier was arrested on sex trafficking charges earlier this month.
The former president, who was in the White House from 1993 to 2001, said he had taken four flights on Epstein’s private jet and visited him in his New York office and apartment on one occasion each.
Clinton said the encounters with Epstein occurred around 2002 and 2003 and that his Secret Service agents were present at the time.
However, a Daily Beast investigation published on Wednesday has uncovered that Epstein had links to the Clinton administration that date back to the early days of his presidency.
Jeffrey Epstein reportedly went to the White House multiple times during the early days of Bill Clinton’s presidency
Epstein made a $10,000 donation to the White House Historical Association back in 1993, according to records in the Clinton Library.
He also attended a reception for donors that was hosted by Bill and Hillary Clinton in the White House residence following his donation.
Epstein was listed as a guest for the donor event with his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell – the woman who has been accused of helping the billionaire run his alleged underage sex ring.
Clinton immediately distanced himself from Epstein (above in his mugshot) when the New York financier was arrested on sex trafficking charges earlier this month
Maxwell was present at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding back in 2010.
Epstein also visited the White House at least three times in the mid-90s to meet with Clinton administration aide Mark Middleton, who was a friend of Clinton’s from Arkansas.
It is not clear how long they met for or what they discussed.
Middleston joined Clinton’s administration in 1993 after earlier working on his campaign.
He interacted with a number of businessman, including Epstein and Donald Trump.
Middleton had his access to the executive mansion revoked because he had allegedly abused his access to the White House to impress his personal business connections.
Epstein was also mentioned in a 1995 letter sent to Clinton by businesswoman Lynn Forester de Rothschild.
‘Dear Mr President: It was a pleasure to see you recently at Senator Kennedy’s house. There was too much to discuss and too little time. Using my fifteen seconds of access to discuss Jeffrey Epstein and currency stabilization, I neglected to talk to you about a topic near and dear to my heart. Namely, affirmative action and the future,’ she wrote.
Following the news of Epstein’s arrest, Clinton insisted he had not had contact with Epstein for years and noted six occasions where he had crossed paths with him
Ghislaine Maxwell – Epstein’s ex-girlfriend and the woman accused of helping the billionaire run his alleged underage sex ring – was present at Chelsea Clinton’s wedding back in 2010
Both Middleton and Forester de Rothschild were not available for comment about their connections to Epstein.
Clinton’s spokesperson, Angel Ureña, has repeatedly denied that the former president knew of Epstein’s crimes.
‘President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York,’ she said.
‘Any suggestion to the contrary, is both factually inaccurate and irresponsible.’
Following the news of Epstein’s arrest, Clinton insisted he had not had contact with Epstein for years.
‘President Clinton knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York,’ a statement released by his office said.
Epstein made a $10,000 donation to the White House Historical Association back in 1993 and attended a donor reception hosted by Bill and Hillary Clinton
Clinton visits his daughter, Chelsea Clinton, at Lenox Hill Hospital on Tuesday after she welcomed a baby boy
‘In 2002 and 2003, President Clinton took a total of four trips on Jeffrey Epstein’s airplane: one to Europe, one to Asia, and two to Africa, which included stops in connection with the work of the Clinton Foundation.
‘Staff, supporters of the Foundation, and his Secret Service detail traveled on every leg of every trip.’
In a 2002 profile on Epstein by New York magazine, a spokesperson for Clinton said of him: ‘Jeffrey is both a highly successful financier and a committed philanthropist with a keen sense of global markets and an in-depth knowledge of twenty-first-century science.
‘I especially appreciated his insights and generosity during the recent trip to Africa to work on democratization, empowering the poor, citizen service, and combating HIV/AIDS.’
In September 2002, Clinton flew with Epstein on a week-long tour through Africa that included stops in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, and Mozambique.
Epstein has pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking after being accused of luring dozens of girls as young as 14 to his luxury homes in New York and Florida and paying them for sex acts.
Victoria’s Secret owner launches investigation into the role pedophile Jeffrey Epstein had with the company after former executives claim the disgraced billionaire tried to influence which models were selected
The retail giant behind Victoria’s Secret has launched an investigation into the role pedophile Jeffrey Epstein played in the company after it was claimed the disgraced billionaire sought input in picking the models.
L Brands Inc has instructed a team of lawyers to review the financier’s position following reports from former executives that the 66-year-old unofficially burrowed his way into the Ohio-headquartered business through a friendship with its CEO.
For two decades Epstein was personal wealth adviser to the clothing titan’s long-term boss Leslie Wexner.
For two decades Epstein was personal wealth adviser to the clothing titan’s long-term boss Leslie Wexner (left, with wife Abigail and son Harry)
But ex-employees have alleged that his powers stretched far beyond this brief and said he had input in L Brands’ management.
He tried to influence the selection of Victoria’s Secret models and also purchased a $10million plane on the company’s behalf, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Recalling business meetings with now 81-year-old Wexner, a former director said: ‘He would say Jeffrey says this and Jeffrey says that’.
In light of fresh charges being brought against Epstein – who is in custody in New York for alleged sex trafficking – L Brands are examining the extent of his influence in the company.
Epstein reportedly tried to influence the selection of Victoria’s Secret models (example of models on catwalk in New York) and also purchased a $10million plane on the company’s behalf
A spokesperson for L Brands said they do not believe Epstein was either an employee or representative of the company and branded his crimes as ‘abhorrant’.
From the 1980s to the early 2000s, Epstein and Wexner forged a close professional and personal relationship.
Sources close to the pair claim that the retail tycoon was attracted to the financier’s high-flying New York lifestyle and charm.
Robert Morosky, former vice chairman of L Brands, said: ‘Les is an insecure guy with a big ego…he had a lot of money but craved respect. They [Wexner and Epstein] played off each other’s needs.
From the 1980s to the early 2000s, Epstein and Wexner (pictured at the Fragrance Foundation Awards in New York) forged a close professional and personal relationship
Since fresh charges were brought against Epstein, Wexner has moved to distance himself from his former friend.
In a memo to L Brands employees earlier this month, he wrote: ‘I would never have guessed that a person I employed more than a decade ago could have caused such pain to so many people.’
Along with its flagship brand Victoria’s Secret, L Brands also boasts Bath & Body Works among its outlets, which rake in an eye-watering annual revenue of over $12billion.
Epstein is being held in Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center while he awaits trial for sex trafficking.