Federal prosecutors investigating the sexual crimes of Jeffrey Epstein are describing how his alleged associate Ghislaine Maxwell evaded arrest for nearly a year.
On Thurs., July 2, federal authorities announced the arrest of the 58-year-old on six counts for her alleged involvement in the Epstein abuse case. She's previously denied any wrongdoing.
She was found on a lavish estate in Bedford, New Hampshire, one of two locations she allegedly hid out in, according to prosecutors.
Maxwell's arrest brought to end a nearly year-long manhunt, which began in July 2019 when an indictment against Epstein was unsealed.
According to the federal indictment obtained by E! News, federal prosecutors claim that Maxwell deployed numerous strategies to avoid detection from investigators, including moving to different hideouts on at least two separate occasions.
Other actions she took included changing her email, phone number and using a different name when having packages shipped.
As for her housing, prosecutors stated that the former friend of Prince Andrew was living on a 56-acre property in a quaint town of New Hampshire. The estate was allegedly purchased for $1 million by an anonymized limited liability corporation in December 2019.
According to CNBC News, many of the local residents were entirely unaware of the new person reportedly living in their midst. An anonymous agent who was involved in the sale of the mansion that matches the description given by federal prosecutors told CNBC they, "Never met her, never saw her," and assumed the new home owner "was a famous actress."
Ghislaine was likely able to take these measures partly because of the millions of dollars that Epstein had given her in the years before his death. Prosecutors claimed that the late convicted sex offender transferred over $20 million to some of Maxwell's 15 bank accounts from 2007 to 2011.
The aforementioned details contribute to the prosecutors desire that the 58-year-old be awarded no bail. In addition, they explained, "The seriousness of the allegations, the strength of the evidence, and the possibility of lengthy incarceration—creates an extraordinary incentive to flee."
Jeffrey Epstein himself died in what was ruled a suicide in his New York City jail cell on Aug. 10. He was awaiting trial on charges of one count of sex trafficking conspiracy and one count of sex trafficking, and faced up to 45 years in prison if found guilty. He plead not guilty.