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File photo. Jeffrey Epstein AP/PA Images

FBI investigation under way after US billionaire Jeffrey Epstein takes his own life in jail cell

The billionaire was facing federal sex trafficking charges.

LAST UPDATE | 10 Aug 2019

US BILLIONAIRE JEFFREY Epstein has been found dead in jail at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.

The 66 year old died by suicide, according to a person familiar with the matter. 

The medical examiner’s office in Manhattan confirmed Epstein’s death.

The FBI said this afternoon that it is investigating what it referred to as Epstein’s “apparent suicide”. 

The department’s Bureau of Prisons made the announcement as questions were raised as to how a high-profile inmate who had apparently attempted to kill himself last month could take his life in what is supposed to be a highly secure federal facility in downtown Manhattan.

Epstein had been facing a number of sex trafficking charges in a high-profile federal case in the United States. 

He faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The FBI added that staff began life-saving measures when Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell, before being rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

Epstein, a well-connected financier whose friends have included President Donald Trump and former president Bill Clinton, was convicted previously of paying young girls for sexual massages at his Palm Beach mansion.

His arrest last month launched separate investigations into how authorities handled his case initially when similar charges were first brought against him in Florida more than a decade ago.

Alexander Acosta, a member of Trump’s Cabinet as secretary for labour, resigned last month after coming under fire for overseeing that deal when he was a US attorney in Miami.

Unsealed documents

Epstein’s death comes after nearly 2,000 court documents were unsealed in a federal civil case in New York yesterday. 

These documents filed implicate other individuals in Epstein’s alleged crimes, the Miami Herald reported. They were filed by an alleged victim Virginia Giuffre. 

One of them is former US Senator George Mitchell – who was an instrumental figure in the Northern Irish peace process – who was accused with having sex with one of Epstein’s victims. Mitchell has vehemently denied the allegations. 

“In my contacts with Mr Epstein I never observed or suspected any inappropriate conduct with underage girls,” he said in a statement. “I only learned of his actions when they were reported in the media related to his prosecution in Florida.”

The files also allege that Prince Andrew groped a young woman’s breast. Statements issued by Buckingham Palace have also denied the claims. 

The court records also contain graphic allegations against Epstein, including his sexual activities with underage girls.

CNN reported that the documents include an Amazon receipt recovered from a bin at Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion for books ordered in his name containing graphic sexual content.

The documents also include medical records from Giuffre over a period she claimed she was being sexually abused by Epstein and others. 

With reporting from AP, AFP

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    May 14th 2012, 1:34 PM

    Wow the fiscal compact is sure doing it’s job of steadying the financial markets…….

    71
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    Mute limofax
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    May 14th 2012, 1:43 PM

    Must have heard that FG mayor Jim Keogh says No!

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    Mute Shayno ZO
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    May 14th 2012, 1:48 PM

    Spain has set up a government backed fund to recapitalize their banks with a interest rate of 10% making their citizens a profit and not handcuffing the country! we really need to get a grip here, our politicians have no business acumen.

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    Mute Ronala
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    May 14th 2012, 2:51 PM

    They have, it is just that they prefer to put the people at the top above the interests of the people and economy overall.

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    Mute Senan Kelly
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    May 14th 2012, 3:26 PM

    But the banks will simply hike charges and borrow the rest with emergency leanding from the ECB to pay the interest.
    Spain is following Irelands piss poor policy of slowly socialising bank debts which is what this amounts too.

    The only difference between us and Spain is simply that Spain is too big to bailout and conversly too big to fail. Something has and will give.

    A default and Euro exit of Greece is all but a certainty now. All of these recent events mean the Fiscal Treaty is a total waste of time and money.

    The Debt Monster in Europe is about the stir once again and this time it is not going to be pretty.

    In a few months this treaty will be looked back on as a complete red herring as all the above events will show.

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    Mute Senan Kelly
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    May 14th 2012, 3:33 PM

    Shayno is not entirely correct.

    The Banks cant afford to pay this Interest. So they will hike up bank charges which hits the consumer.
    The Banks in Spain have also been getting billions in emergency funding from the ECB at very low rates ~1%.
    They use this money to buy Spanish bonds which are paying out at 3/4% which they then use to shore up there balance sheets.
    Basically they are socialisng their Bank Debt.

    Except this cant go on forever and Spain is simply too big to bailout and conversly too big to fail.

    This Euro Debt Crisis is about to get nasty.

    A Greek default and Exit is not going to be pretty and will be very bad for Ireland.

    This Treaty is a complete red herring.

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    Mute Liam Ó Broin
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    May 14th 2012, 1:48 PM

    I’m confused. When the time comes, who bails out Planet Earth? I think the Martians will see us as bad investment. After that, who else do we have? Mercurians maybe? :P

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    Mute limofax
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    May 14th 2012, 1:56 PM

    They got their fingers burnt years ago

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    Mute Liam Ó Broin
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    May 14th 2012, 7:01 PM

    Us Earthlings are a frivolous bunch aren’t we!? :P

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    Mute Ryan oneill
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    May 14th 2012, 2:06 PM

    The tide has turned and ‘the markets’ are now betting on the end of the euro, a risky investment but one that yields more profit. Spain is to big to bailout when they go it’s bye bye euro and the snakes in suits profiteer from it.

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    Mute somethingodd
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    May 14th 2012, 2:00 PM

    we really do need to vote no until there is some stability, at which point, then it would make sense to bring in rules but can’t do this in such uncertain times

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    Mute Shanners
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    May 14th 2012, 2:06 PM

    300 quid wiped off my fund for euro 2012 with that drop in share price this morning. Would Greece ever cop on for themselves, they are letting everyone down!

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    Mute Ronala
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    May 14th 2012, 2:47 PM

    If you think that an economy that is as small and insignificant as Greece is causing all this problems, then you are going to have a harsh few years ahead.

    The Euro is the problem. Greece is just a basket case economy, that is stuck in that problem.

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    Mute Dmc
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    May 14th 2012, 6:14 PM

    This crisis is a big scam to acquire more assets and make certain powers even more powerful!

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    Mute Yamonpat Yoddee
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    May 14th 2012, 3:56 PM

    It’s such a mess, all these countrys people want to stay in the euro , big country’s got to help the small countrys and they gain in currency rates for exports the German people understand this.. It’ can be cleaned up if the will was there from all euro country’s

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    Mute El Cheebo
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    May 14th 2012, 3:38 PM

    Timber!!!!!!!!!!!!

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