Ghislaine Maxwell's cellmate was paid to STRANGLE her, claim lawyers as they demand lighter sentence
Former socialite and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers say her cellmate has claimed that she had been offered money to kill her. The allegation was made by the 60-year-old socialite's lawyers in a court filing on June 15 in the hopes of securing a lighter sentence in Maxwell's sexual offense case.
"One of the female inmates in Ms. Maxwell's housing unit told at least three other inmates that she had been offered money to murder Ms. Maxwell and that she planned to strangle her in her sleep. This incident reflects the brutal reality that there are numerous prison inmates who would not hesitate to kill Ms. Maxwell — whether for money, fame, or simple 'street cred,'" reads the Wednesday, June 15, filing by Maxwell's lawyers.
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Ghislaine Maxwell's lawyers: "One of the female inmates in Ms. Maxwell’s housing unit told at least three other inmates that she had been offered money to murder Ms. Maxwell and that she planned to strangle her in her sleep." https://t.co/gJeD2bwLm4
— Logan Ratick (@Logan_Ratick) June 16, 2022
The inmate allegedly claimed that the payment was worth "an additional 20 years' incarceration." The inmate who made the threat has reportedly been moved to a different unit of the prison, presumably to protect Maxwell. The sexual offender was convicted on five of six counts against her, with the most severe charge being sex trafficking of minors, reports Fox News.
In the recent filing, Maxwell's lawyers are asking Judge Nathan to impose a sentence below the 20 years recommended by the court's probation department. "Ghislaine Maxwell is not an heiress, villain, or vapid socialite. She has worked hard her entire life. She has energy, drive, commitment, a strong work ethic, and desire to do good in the world," the filing says.
UPDATE: Lawyers for #GhislaineMaxwell have published their sentencing submissions.
— Agent A (@REBELTROOP) June 16, 2022
- Ghislaine alleges cruelty at the hands of her father
- Letters from family and friends allege her father's cruelty led her to be exploited by Epstein. https://t.co/sdhvZcjsF2 pic.twitter.com/hN85wTuQ42
"She had a difficult, traumatic childhood with an overbearing, narcissistic, and demanding father. It made her vulnerable to Epstein, whom she met right after her father's death. It is the biggest mistake she made in her life and one that she has not and never will repeat," Maxwell's lawyers state in the recent filing, as per The New York Times.
The filing continued, "The witnesses at trial testified about Ms. Maxwell's facilitation of Epstein's abuse, but Epstein was always the central figure: Epstein was the mastermind, Epstein was the principal abuser and Epstein orchestrated the crimes for his personal gratification." Jeffery Epstein, Maxwell's former boyfriend, was arrested in July 2019 and charged with sexually exploiting and abusing dozens of girls and women.
Ghislaine Maxwell's legal team say she should not be made a scapegoat for Jeffrey Epstein https://t.co/VPyI73q6uN
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) June 16, 2022
The 66-year-old killed himself in his New York cell a month later, by hanging himself with a sheet, according to the medical examiner. However, Alison Moe, assistant US attorney, told the jury, "Maxwell was a sophisticated predator who knew exactly what she was doing. She manipulated her victims, and she groomed them for sexual abuse," as per The New York Times. Maxwell's sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 28.