FBI claims it will release jail tape proving Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide
The FBI has claimed they have a video which proves that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide and says it will release the footage soon.
Epstein, 66, was found hanging inside a jail cell at the NYC's Metropolitan Correctional Center on the morning of Aug. 10, 2019. His death was ruled a suicide soon after.
But conspiracy theorists believe that he did not end his life, maintaining that Epstein's death was murder. Their beliefs are fuelled by reports at the time that guards failed to check on him and cameras weren't working.
But FBI Deputy Director Don Bongino, appointed by US President, Donald Trump, in March says that he plans to release prison video of Epstein that confirms the billionaire financier and convicted sex offender killed himself.
But when asked if the video showed Epstein taking his own life, he admitted it didn't.
'There is video,' Bongino told Fox & Friends. 'You are going to see there is no one there but him... there is video clear as day, he's the only person in there and the only person coming out.'
Epstein, 66, was awaiting trial on federal conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.
'I say to people, if you have a tip, let us know,' Bongino, a former conservative talk show host, said. 'But there's no DNA, there's no audio, there's no fingerprints, there's no suspects, there's no accomplices, there's no tips. There is nothing. If you have it, I'm happy to see it.'
Bongino said his office was 'working on cleaning' up the video. 'There is going to be a disclosure on this coming shortly. We will give the original, so you don't think there were any shenanigans.'
When asked if the video would include Epstein killing himself, Bongino responded that the video doesn't show 'the actual act.'
Epstein was accused of molesting multiple teenaged girls at his Palm Beach mansion. Investigators claimed that Epstein would lure teen girls to his home by paying them to massage him. During the massages, he would allegedly assault the teens, force them to have sex with him and offer them money to bring him other underage girls to assault.
Many of his alleged victims spoke to Lifetime for Surviving Jeffrey Epstein, a four-hour miniseries on the financier's alleged crimes.
Virginia Giuffre, who said she was recruited by Epstein's friend Ghislaine Maxwell, said in one of the first two episodes that the first time she was abused by Epstein, Maxwell assisted.
Giuffre committed suicide at the age of 41 at her farm outside Perth, Australia, on Thursday, April 24.
That suicide is also subject to speculation after her father claimed 'somebody got to her'.
Giuffre received a multi-million dollar payout from Prince Andrew as a settlement after she accused him of having sex with her, which he denies.
Epstein was arrested in July 2019 for allegedly sex trafficking girls as young as 14. He died almost a month after his arrest.
Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison at Florida Correctional Institution-Tallahassee on June 28, 2022. In addition to her prison sentence, she was fined $750,000.
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
DOJ to hand over Epstein files to Congress
Lawmakers in Congress expect to begin receiving Department of Justice files on Jeffrey Epstein's [sexual] trafficking case this week. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky, the leader of the House probe into Epstein, announced that the DOJ will send over Epstein files on Friday. The files are expected to include never-before-seen documents related to the late, well-connected New York financier's 2019 federal [sexual] trafficking investigation. 'There are many records in DOJ's custody, and it will take the Department time to produce all the records and ensure the identification of victims and any child sexual abuse material are redacted,' the Kentucky Republican said in a statement. Comer initially subpoenaed the DOJ for the Epstein files on August 5. At the time, the chairman gave the department until August 19 to hand over the documents. His announcement that the files would come by Friday appears to give the federal agency additional time to prepare the Epstein investigation documents. When the Daily Mail asked the DOJ if they would turn over the Epstein files by the deadline on Tuesday, a spokesperson responded, 'No comment.' It's unclear whether the files the DOJ plans to hand over are the same ones that would be released under a bipartisan bill that could force the department to release all its files on Epstein , except in a few exceptions. It also remains to be seen whether the files expected to be released on Friday will satisfy voters' demands to see the Epstein documents. Epstein, a wealthy money manager who authorities say [killed himself] while in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting his federal [sexual] trafficking trial, has been the subject of extreme interest since the DOJ announced in July that it did not have a 'client list' many believed the government had. The unsigned memo put out by the DOJ and FBI poured cold water on many voters' hopes to learn more about the infamous financier. This outrage became particularly acute due to Attorney General Pam Bondi saying earlier this year that the 'client list' was on her desk. Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a 20-year sentence for [sexual] trafficking, met personally with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche multiple times in early August. The Oversight Committee is also investigating Maxwell and had planned and then rescheduled a time to interview the Epstein accomplice. The committee said it would speak with Maxwell after her petition before the Supreme Court regarding her [sexual] trafficking case has been heard. Shortly after she met with Blanche, Maxwell was reassigned to a lower security prison. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP), which is under the DOJ, acknowledged that Maxwell was transferred but did not share a reason why. The House Oversight Committee has also sent subpoenas to many high-profile politicians to determine what they know of Epstein's crimes . Former President Bill Clinton, who has admitted to flying on Epstein's private jet - named the Lolita Express - as well as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have also been subpoenaed by the committee. Both are being asked to sit for interviews in the Epstein probe in October. Former Attorney General Bill Barr, who served under Trump during his first term, was also subpoenaed and sat for an interview on Monday. 'Mr. Barr made clear that President Trump never provided any views or instructions related to the criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein or his death, and that he never saw any evidence suggesting President Trump committed a crime,' a committee spokesperson told the Daily Mail of the session. 'He further stated that he believed the Biden Department of Justice would have released any incriminating evidence against President Trump if such evidence existed,' the spokesperson continued. 'Mr. Barr stands by his original conclusion that Epstein died by [killing himself].'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Matthew Perry's drug dealer takes plea deal
Jasveen Sangha - known to her customers as the 'Ketamine Queen' - has made a plea deal in connection with the October 2023 drug overdose death of Friends star Matthew Perry at 54. Sangha was initially facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, a source close to the case told the Daily Mail exclusively. Under the plea agreement, that mandatory minimum has been lifted, allowing Sangha to potentially receive a sentence less than 10 years for her role in the death of Perry, whose life was recently chronicled in the documentary Matthew Perry: A Hollywood Tragedy. Sangha, a native of North Hollywood, California, is not expected to testify other related cases, the source said. The Friends actor was found dead face down in his jacuzzi back on October 29, 2023, leaving Hollywood shaken to its core after he bravely shared details of his addiction struggles with the public to dissuade others from following a similar path. Months later, a medical examiner determined that the actor - who had battled substance abuse issues throughout his life - had died of 'acute effects of ketamine.' Legal analyst and federal criminal defense attorney Lou Shapiro told the Daily Mail he wasn't surprised Sangha decided to take the plea deal, especially since her co-defendants had done so earlier. 'When you look at the overwhelming evidence against her and what they found at her place alone — the drugs, the manufacturing equipment and the money — and tons of it, she was basically toast,' Shapiro said. 'There was nowhere for her to go. It wasn't if she was going to take the deal, it was a matter of just when.' Shapiro added: 'Even if you don't intentionally try to harm somebody or cause them great bodily injury or death, the mere fact that you are engaging in a conduct that is very likely going to result in death, you're going to be held accountable for it.' Shapiro said any arguments presented would have quickly crumbled under legal scrutiny: 'You can't look the other way and say, 'I was just selling it. I was doing him a favor.' That is not going to fly. Shapiro added, 'This also sends a big message to the medical industry that doctors will be held fully accountable for death to bodily injury that results in their patients when they are merely prescribing drugs. 'These doctors knew what was going on and they fully participated in supplying Matthew Perry with as much ketamine as he wanted.' Shapiro cited court records in which the doctors themselves marveled at the extent of Perry's addiction and lengths he was willing to go to in his quest to get his next fix. 'They even called him an 'idiot' at one point in their text messages,' Shapiro said. 'I think the medical community also will look at this as a tragedy for the loss of life but also, they are people who worked hard to become medical professionals. 'Instead, these doctors threw all of that away for greed .' A sentencing hearing for Sangha 'is expected to occur in the coming months,' United States Attorney Bilal A. Essayli of California's Central District said in a statement obtained by Daily Mail on Monday. 'Upon entering her guilty plea, Sangha will face at her sentencing hearing,' Essayli said, 'a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison on the drug-involved premises count.' Sangha faces 'up to 10 years in federal prison for each ketamine distribution count ... and up to 15 years in federal prison for the count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury,' the prosecutor said. The prosecutor noted that in October 2023, 'Sangha and Fleming sold Perry 51 vials of ketamine, which were provided' to Perry's live-in personal assistant Kenneth Iwamasa. Sangha sought to engage in a cover-up with another person involved in the scheme, Perry pal Erik Fleming, 55, 'after learning from news reports of Perry's death,' the prosecutor said. Essayli said Monday that 'Sangha called Fleming on Signal to discuss how to distance themselves from it' following Perry's passing in the fall of 2023. The prosecutor continued: 'That day, Sangha updated the settings on the Signal apps to automatically delete her messages with Fleming. She further instructed Fleming to "Delete all our messages."' Essayli said that 'two days after Perry's death, Fleming left Sangha a voicemail on Signal and texted, "Please call . . . Got more info and want to bounce ideas off you. I'm 90% sure everyone is protected. I never dealt with [Perry]. Only his assistant. 'So the assistant was the enabler. Also they are doing a three-month tox screening ... Does [ketamine] stay in your system or is it immediately flushed out[?]."' According to the prosecutor, Sangha also admitted to selling four vials of ketamine to another victim of a fatal overdose in August 2019, Cody McLaury. The prosecutor said that Sangha admit in her plea deal to possessing drugs she intended to sell at her home in North Hollywood residence. 'In March 2023, law enforcement searched the residence,' according to Essayli. 'and found 1.7 kilograms of pressed pills containing methamphetamine, 79 vials of liquid ketamine, MDMA (Ecstasy) tablets [and] counterfeit Xanax pills.' Also recovered were 'the baggies containing powdered ketamine and cocaine, and other drug trafficking items such as a gold money counting machine, a scale, a wireless signal and hidden camera detector, drug packaging materials, and $5,723 in cash,' the prosecutor said. In June, another medical professional charged in the case, Dr. Salvador Plasencia , agreed to plead guilty to four counts of ketamine distribution in the case. Plasencia had also been charged with prosecutors with altering and falsifying documents or records in connection with the federal probe. With the expected guilty plea, Plasencia joined three others who had pleaded guilty in connection with the tragic death of the TV star. They include: Dr. Mark Chavez; Perry's assistant Kenneth Iwamasa and Erik Fleming, who was an acquaintance of the Friends star. It was previously revealed that the actor and his live-in assistant Iwamasa spent a minimum of $55,000 on 55 ketamine vials and related injections in the 29 days prior to the actor's fatal overdose at the age of 54 on October 28, 2023. Iwamasa had sent consecutive text messages seeking more of the surgical anesthetic from his suppliers, including an illegal transaction, authorities with the Department of Justice said last August after reviewing court documents in the cast against Iwamasa. Iwamasa was one of five people arrested last year in connection with Perry's passing - in one instance convened with the Friends actor and Plasencia in a parking lot, where the actor had been injected with ketamine, according to legal docs. Iwamasa and Plasencia had 'exchanged thousands in cash for bottles' of ketamine, legal docs stated. Plasencia had also injected Perry with ketamine at his home on numerous occasions, authorities said. Plasencia in one instance injected the Williamstown, Massachusetts native, who played Chandler Bing on the NBC series, 'within hours' of Perry already having been injected with ketamine. The double dose led to Perry's systolic blood pressure rising to dangerous levels, according to legal docs, with the actor 'unable to speak or move' as result of the injections. Iwamasa illegally spent $6,000 on 25 bottles of ketamine, according to legal docs, nine days after he purchased 25 ketamine vials illegally. In that instance, Perry was injected six times in one day by Iwamasa, and 18 additional times in the next three days, legal docs stated. Perry, on the day of his death, was injected with ketamine by Iwamasa three times, as he allegedly told his assistant to 'shoot me up with a big one,' the outlet reported, citing court docs. New details drawn from unsealed federal court documents and a medical examiner's investigation provide a chronological look at the end of Perry's life . On September 30, Perry and Iwamasa met at their home in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles with Plasencia. Perry had been receiving ketamine treatments for depression - an increasingly common off-label use - from his regular doctor, but wasn't able to get as much as he wanted. Plasencia texted a doctor friend in San Diego, Mark Chavez, who agreed to obtain ketamine for him. 'I wonder how much this moron will pay,' Plasencia texted Chavez. The two met up the same day in Costa Mesa, California - halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego - and exchanged at least four vials of ketamine. Plasencia returned to Perry's house, where Iwamasa paid him $4,500 in cash for the vials. Plasencia gave Perry two injections of ketamine, and instructed Iwamasa on how to give the injections to the actor. Plasencia texted Chavez that the experience 'felt like a bad movie.' On October 2, Iwamasa texted Plasencia saying he wanted to buy not just injection sessions, but to be left with more vials of ketamine, referring to it in agreed-upon code as 'dr pepper.' Plasencia appeared, gave Perry the injections, and left behind the vials of the anesthetic. On October 4, Iwamasa injected Perry himself for the first time. He texted the doctor that he had found 'the sweet spot' to put the needle into his boss, but that trying different spots on Perry had led to them running out, and they needed more. Plasencia texted Chavez asking if he could keep supplying the drug so they could become Perry's 'go-to.' On October 6, Iwamasa told Plasencia they were running low, and needed more. Plasencia went to Perry's house and sold him one or more vials. On October 8, in a late night meetup at a Santa Monica, California shopping plaza, Plasencia sold Iwamasa four vials of ketamine for $6,000 in cash. On October 10, Iwamasa drove Perry to a public parking lot in Long Beach, California where they met up with the doctor. He sold them more ketamine, and gave an injection to Perry while the actor sat in a car. On the same day, Iwamasa sought even more of the drug from an additional source of ketamine, reaching out to Erik Fleming, an acquaintance of Perry. On October 11, Fleming messaged Iwamasa that he can get ketamine from a woman he knows, later identified as Sangha. 'It´s unmarked but it´s amazing - he take one and try it and I have more if he likes,' Fleming wrote. Fleming texted Iwamasa that she only deals ' with high end and celebs ,' and that if her product was 'not great stuff, she´d lose her business.' On October 12, Plasencia went to Perry's house, where he was paid $21,000 in cash, some of it owed to him for previous ketamine buys. While there he injected Perry. The actor immediately froze up and his blood pressure spiked. The assistant said the doctor told him, 'Let's not do that again.' On October 13, Perry got a sample of Sangha's ketamine and tried it. He and Iwamasa would ask for 25 vials of it, for which he would pay $5,500. Fleming dropped it off at Perry's house a day later. On or around October 20 - Perry received his last legal ketamine treatment from his regular physician, according to what a woman close to him whose name was redacted in official documents told medical examiner's investigators. The woman said his previous doctor had given him treatments every other day, but his new doctor said Perry was doing well, his depression was managed, and he no longer needed so many treatments. The woman would tell investigators that she had believed Perry had been sober for 19 months and there had been no relapse. On around October 24, Perry talked to the unidentified woman for the last time. She told investigators he had been in good spirits. On October 25, Iwamasa asked Fleming for another 25 vials of ketamine. After picking up $6,000 from Perry, Fleming picked up the ketamine from Sangha, who told him her own source is known as Master Chef; meanwhile, Iwamasa gave Perry at least six shots of ketamine. On October 26, Iwamasa again gave Perry at least six shots of ketamine. On October 27, the assistant again gave the actor at least six shots of ketamine. With the supply coming from Fleming and Sangha, Perry and Iwamasa had been out of touch with Plasencia for about two weeks. Plasencia would text Iwamasa saying he had more to offer: 'I know you mentioned taking a break. I have been stocking up.' On October 28, at about 8:30 a.m., acting at Perry's direction, using syringes from Plasencia and ketamine from Sangha, Iwamasa gave Perry an injection. At about 11 a.m., Perry played pickleball, according to what Iwamasa told medical examiner's investigators later in the day, though many elements of that initial story changed in his later talks to prosecutors. About 12:45 p.m., Iwamasa gave Perry his second shot of the day, and the actor began watching a movie. Shortly before 1:30 p.m., Iwamasa gave Perry his third and final injection of the day while Perry sat at his backyard jacuzzi. 'Shoot me up with a big one,' Iwamasa remembered Perry told him. The assistant then left to run errands. At about 4 p.m., Iwamasa returned home to find Perry face down in the jacuzzi. He jumped in, pulled Perry to the steps and called 911. Paramedics arrived minutes later and declared Perry dead. Coroner's investigators would say ketamine was the primary cause of his death, with drowning a secondary cause. Iwamasa has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute Ketamine. Fleming has pleaded guilty to distributing ketamine resulting in death. Both are cooperating with prosecutors. Chavez has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute the drug. Plasencia and Sangha, the two main targets of the investigation, have pleaded not guilty to multiple felony counts.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Former US Attorney Catherine Hanaway appointed as Missouri's next attorney general
Former U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway was appointed Tuesday as Missouri 's next attorney general, vowing a tough-on-crime approach as her predecessor leaves for a job with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe announced Hanaway's appointment just a day after Attorney General Andrew Bailey said he was stepping down to join President Donald Trump 's administration as the FBI's co-deputy director. The change in Missouri's top law enforcement job will take effect Sept. 8. 'Fighting crime is — and will remain — job one for this office' Hanaway said. Hanaway has deep roots in Missouri politics and extensive ties as a private practice attorney to corporate clients that will cause her to recuse from some cases as attorney general. Hanaway first won election to the Missouri House in 1998 and led the GOP takeover of the chamber in the 2002 elections as the state began a gradual transition from a political tossup to a GOP stronghold. She served as Missouri's first and only woman House speaker before losing a bid for secretary of state in 2004. She was appointed the next year by President George W. Bush as U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Missouri, which she held until 2009. She lost a Republican primary for governor in 2016. As a partner at the Husch Blackwell law firm, Hanaway has represented global chemical manufacturer Bayer in lobbying for legislation that would provide a legal shield against mounting claims that it failed to warn customers that its popular Roundup weedkiller can allegedly cause cancer. Husch Blackwell also represents Invenergy, which is attempting to use eminent domain to acquire land for a high-voltage transmission line to carry wind-generated power from Kansas across Missouri and Illinois to an electric grid in Indiana. Bailey has opposed the project, and Hanaway said she will recuse herself as the attorney general's office continues a civil investigation into it. Bailey, a staunch Trump supporter, has served as attorney general since January 2023 and won election last November to a full four-year term. Hanaway said she intends to serve the remainder of Bailey's term and seek election herself in 2028. Bailey brought an aggressive approach to the attorney general's office. He pursued numerous legal challenges against Democratic President Joe Biden's administration on policies ranging from student loan forgiveness to environmental rules, immigration actions and transgender rights measures. He also pursued conservative causes in his home state, threatening legal action against private gyms over bathroom policies, demanding that public schools ban drag shows and defending the state's anti-abortion regulations in the face of a voter-approved constitutional amendment establishing a right to abortion. Hanaway praised Bailey but placed a greater emphasis on criminal cases than civil litigation while talking to reporters Tuesday. Missouri's attorney general job has become a quick stepping stone for aspiring politicians. Less than a year after winning election as attorney general in 2016, Republican Josh Hawley launched a challenge to Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill. After Hawley won election to the Senate in 2018, Republican Gov. Mike Parson appointed state Treasurer Eric Schmitt to serve the remainder of Hawley's term. Schmitt won election to his own term as attorney general in 2020, but then quickly announced he was running to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt in the 2022 elections. After Schmitt won the Senate race, Parson appointed Bailey — an Army veteran serving as the governor's general counsel — to fill the remainder of Schmitt's term.
