The SDNY Maxwell Team
The prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell at the Southern District of New York was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alison Moe, Lara Pomerantz, and Andrew Rohrbach. The team developed a trial strategy centered on survivor testimony and corroborating documentary evidence.
The Four Survivor Witnesses
The prosecution built around testimony from four women:
- Jane (pseudonym) testified she was 14 when first abused
- Kate (pseudonym) testified about experiences as a teenager in England
- Carolyn (pseudonym) testified about experiences including at the Palm Beach estate
- Annie Farmer (real name) testified about experiences at the New Mexico ranch
The Corroboration Strategy
The prosecution anticipated Maxwell’s attorneys would attack the witnesses’ credibility. To counter this, they introduced:
- Documents from Maxwell’s own Palm Beach estate
- Financial records showing payments to recruiters
- The ‘little black book’ of contacts
- Travel and scheduling records
The Consistency Argument
The prosecution’s closing argument emphasized that four women who did not know each other described the same pattern: Maxwell befriended them, told them massage would help them, brought them to Epstein, and facilitated abuse. The consistency was the argument for beyond-reasonable-doubt.
The Verdict
The jury convicted Maxwell on five of six counts after deliberating for approximately five days. The verdict included the most serious count, sex trafficking of a minor.