In a lengthy plan to recruit and sexually assault minors with her close confidant Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Tuesday.
Maxwell, 60, did not give a defense witness during the trial that concluded in her conviction on five charges, including trafficking in minors in sex, late last year. But on Tuesday, she addressed the victims in court before the verdict was announced.
Ghislaine Maxwell Bashes Jeffrey Epstein
Jeffrey Epstein's ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell admitted she was convicted in the sex trafficking conspiracy but refrained from accepting blame. Maxwell's sentence had been requested by the prosecution to be 30 to 55 years in jail, while the probation office had suggested 20 years. The defense team for Maxwell asked for a sentence that ranged from 4.25 to 5.25 years in jail.
According to Judge Alison Nathan's calculations, the recommended jail terms ranged from 15 to 19 years. She nonetheless said something a little more severe than that, pointing out Maxwell's "direct and persistent participation in a horrendous plot" and the troubling testimony of the victims.
Additionally, Maxwell was given five years of supervised release and a $750,000 fine, which according to her lawyer, she is unable to pay. Epstein, who had previously pled guilty to state prostitution charges in 2008, was charged with federal sex trafficking in July 2019, but he took his own life in jail one month later. Since her arrest in July 2020, Maxwell has been in jail, and according to the prosecution, she has been given credit for two years of time served, CNN reported.
Prison for Ghislain Maxwell Feels Like "Disneyland"
Ghislaine Maxwell could serve her 20-year sentence at the federal prison in Connecticut that served as the model for "Orange Is The New Black" and as the residence of Teresa Giudice from 'Real Housewives of New Jersey' - a far cry from the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center where she has been detained since her arrest.
Maxwell should be transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, a low-security institution roughly 55 miles from New York City, according to Judge Alison Nathan's recommendation. Prior detainees at the facility included Orange the New Black author Piper Kerman, reality television actress Teresa Giudice, and musician Lauryn Hill. Danbury is thought to have served as a model for Orange Is the New Black's Litchfield Prison.
Maxwell will certainly spend the entirety of his 20-year sentence because there is no parole in federal prisons, though he may be released early for good conduct. Prison specialists have predicted that after over two years at the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a stay at Danbury will make her feel as though she is in "Disneyland."
The institution provides a lot of comfortable activities for convicts, including a wide range of hobby crafts and music, as well as circuit training, aerobics, and over 50 fitness classes. Aerial images of the jail show it also has a jogging track, a baseball field, and a well-kept lawn with trees and paths.
Maxwell might not be able to use any of the amenities depending on the amount of protection she requires. Between 1994 and 2004, the British socialite was convicted on five counts, including sex trafficking a juvenile, for recruiting and grooming four females to have sexual relations with Epstein, then her lover.
Maxwell described Epstein as a "manipulative, clever, and dominating man" who duped everyone in his orbit during her sentencing hearing in Manhattan federal court before learning the punishment, according to Daily Mail.
Ghislaine Maxwell's victims, on the other hand, claimed the convicted sex trafficker's apology "doesn't cut it," as her counsel promised to challenge her 20-year sentence handed down on Tuesday.
Sarah Ransome, 37, said in a sobbing victim impact statement that she suffered from mental torment for years and attempted suicide twice following months of torture. Another complainant, Elizabeth Stein, who stood opposite Ransome, confessed she was alarmed when she heard Maxwell's voice in the courtroom. Meanwhile, the deceased socialite's brother, Kevin Maxwell, told reporters gathered outside the courthouse that the family was "solidly supporting" his sister, as per New York Post.
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