According to the filings, Brunel negotiated in secret with lawyers for Epstein’s victims. His lawyer claimed that Brunel recruited girls for Epstein and has incriminating photos. It was also considered that Brunel would come to the federal prosecutor’s office in New York in exchange for immunity.
Federal prosecutors’ memos from February 2016 said Brunel was “willing to cooperate” and “feared prosecution.” However, he soon disappeared from communication. Epstein learned of the negotiations and reacted – in an email dated May 3, 2016, he labeled Brunel’s lawyer and friend as “fraudsters” and tried to question their credibility.
The reasons for Brunel’s withdrawal are not known, but it is clear that he did not cooperate with prosecutors, while Epstein remained free for another three years, until his arrest in 2019. David Boies, a lawyer who represented the victims, said that Brunel’s withdrawal “set them back several years”, and that during that period, according to their lawsuits, dozens of girls were trafficked.
The documents show that in 2016, New York prosecutors were aware of a network of allegations that Brunel, Ghislaine Maxwell and others recruited minors. However, a more serious case was not initiated until the Miami Herald investigation in late 2018.
Brunel, according to the files, used a position in the agency MC2 Model Management in order to bring in young women, secure visas for them and create the impression of legitimate employment. He often traveled on Epstein’s plane and visited his private island, and they exchanged hundreds of e-mails.
Brunel was arrested in France in 2020 on charges of raping and bringing girls to Epstein, and was found dead in prison in 2022. Maxwell was sentenced in 2021 to 20 years in prison. French prosecutors in Paris announced a reanalysis of Brunel’s case and the formation of a special team to study evidence that could implicate French citizens in Epstein’s network.
(Vijesti.ba)
