Ghislaine Maxwell will exonerate Prince Andrew in 'cushy plea deal' to win freedom in just few years, pal says
A friend of Ghislaine Maxwell is confident that she will strike a plea deal, exonerate Prince Andrew, and be released from prison in just "a few years." The friend, who spoke to the Sunday Times on the condition of anonymity, said they expect the British socialite and media heiress to "survive" the case, as she awaits trial over her alleged links to late pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Maxwell faces up to 35 years in prison after having pleaded not guilty to six charges. She is due to stand trial in July next year over allegations that she was Epstein's "pimp" and chief enabler.
The 58-year-old socialite, however, denies any knowledge of Epstein's criminal sexual behavior. Facing charges for the first time in her life, she is expected to attempt to strike a justifiable plea deal with the authorities.
Having said that, an old friend of Maxwell believes she is likely to get a cushy deal with prosecutors considering she could turn over some powerful and influential friends of Epstein over their alleged involvement in his sex ring. However, the pal added that Maxwell would also use any plea deal as an opportunity to "exonerate" disgraced Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, over his alleged links to the case.
It is said that Maxwell was the one who introduced Andrew to Epstein, having known the prince since their university days. Meanwhile, the Duke is alleged to have engaged in sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old sex slave at Maxwell's house in London. Prince Andrew, who denies any wrongdoing, has been under increasing pressure to cooperate with federal authorities in their probe. His legal team, however, has insisted he has offered to assist the FBI on multiple occasions. Maxwell's anonymous pal thinks she will use a potential "cushy plea agreement" to bury claims about her old friend for good. They also believe that she will be released after just a "few years" behind bars for her alleged role in the trafficking scheme. The friend added that they expect Mark Epstein to use his pedophile brother's $600 million estate to compensate the victims.
"The American legal system is notoriously flexible, so Ghislaine will get a plea deal if she hasn’t struck one already," they said. "That means a large sentence, which will eventually be shortened, and in the process, she will likely seek to exonerate Prince Andrew. She’ll spend a few years dressed in an orange overall … she will survive."
According to victims, Maxwell played an integral role in the abuse they suffered at the hands of Epstein.
In 2008, the hedge fund honcho struck a sweetheart deal with authorities that saw him plead guilty to sex crimes in exchange for serving just 13 months with 12 hours of daily work-release. Furthermore, the plea agreement also granted immunity to protect others in Epstein's inner circle, including Maxwell.
Attorney General William Barr has reportedly urged prosecutors to warn that "no harm must come" to the former socialite, who is the daughter of late media mogul Robert Maxwell. She could strike a beneficial plea deal is she furnished evidence leading to the conviction of “bigger fish," it has been claimed. Maxwell allegedly procured young girls for Epstein to abuse. Victims have said she would dupe them by claiming she was recruiting models or masseurs.
On the other hand, her lawyers have accused victims of attempting to turn her into a scapegoat following Epstein's mysterious death in August last year.