NEW YORK. NY. (THECOUNT) — Billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein was found dead by suicide in his Manhattan jail early Saturday morning, three law enforcement officials told ABC News.
He was being held without bail at the Metropolitan Correctional Center awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a judge said he wouldn’t face trial before June 2020.
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Epstein’s accused of arranging to have sex with girls as young as age 14 in the early 2000s at his residences in Manhattan and Florida.
In related news, the 66-year-old was also hospitalized in July after he was found unresponsive in what appeared to be a possible suicide attempt, reports ABC7NY.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe urged a June trial date, saying there is “a public interest in bringing this case to trial as swiftly as possible.” But Epstein’s lawyer, Martin Weinberg, said the case is far from “ordinary,” adding the defense team won’t be ready before Labor Day 2020.
His charges carry the potential for up to 45 years in prison.
Jeffrey Epstein was found injured on floor of his NYC jail cell, NBCNewYork is reporting Wednesday night.
One source says an assault has not been ruled out, and that another inmate accused of murder has been questioned.