Handout/Reuters
The lawyer for the 16-year-old girl attached to multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein's plea deal told The Miami Herald that prosecutors lied to the presiding judge at Epstein's sentencing. Robert Josefsberg, who represented the 16-year-old involved in Epstein's deal, claimed that neither he nor his client was informed that their case was part of the mysteriously lenient plea deal. “I was never told that any of my 16 victim clients were part of Epstein’s charges in state court,’’ Josefsberg said. “I can tell you that when the judge asked the prosecutor whether the victims were informed, and she said that they were, that mine were not.’’ At Epstein's sentencing, Circuit Court Judge Deborah Dale Pucillo asked Assistant State Attorney Lanna Beholavek if “all the victims” agreed with the terms of the deal. Beholavek replied, “Yes.”
Josefsberg's client, now 31-years-old, was reportedly assaulted repeatedly and brutally. Despite close to three dozen girls reportedly being involved in the case, Epstein only received a general solicitation charge and one count of procuring someone under the age of 18 for prostitution. The multimillionaire was also reportedly given federal immunity as part of the deal, which was green-lighted by then-Miami U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta—who is currently Labor Secretary.