Harvey Weinstein May Not Be Sent To Rikers, To Avoid "Another Jeffrey Epstein Incident"

After he was found guilty of two counts of rape and sexual assault on Monday, convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein was remanded into custody to be taken to Rikers to await sentencing on March 11th. Instead, the ambulance carrying Weinstein diverted him to Bellevue Hospital, where he has been treated for high blood pressure and heart palpitations for the past couple days. Now, it seems he may never see the inside of Rikers: officials are so concerned about his safety, and the possibility of "another Jeffrey Epstein incident," that Weinstein will be isolated and guarded nonstop while in custody, and may be shipped to a jail outside of the city before he is sentenced.

Joe Russo, president of the Assistant Deputy Wardens / Deputy Wardens Association, discussed the difficulties of monitoring such a high-profile prisoner with THE CITY. Weinstein is currently being held at the Bellevue Hospital jail ward by a team of officers—the entire unit has been shut down so he won't bump into other inmates, and he must be escorted by a jail captain anytime he moves. If he is brought to Rikers eventually, he could have his own entire housing unit in the North Infirmary Command. “He’s very high-profile and you can’t put him with somebody else,” said Russo.

Alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell at Metropolitan Correctional Center last summer, despite the fact he was also supposed to be monitored closely by guards. One jail source tells the NY Post, "The last thing you want is another Jeffrey Epstein incident. Harvey is going to be isolated as much as possible and will always have a detail with him throughout the prison. He’s never going to be like other prisoners, able to walk down the hallway or sit in the canteen alone.

Speaking to the Post, Russo suggested that officials are considering moving Weinstein out of the city to Long Island, Westchester, or even Albany.

If Weinstein is transferred to Rikers, he will reportedly be kept in an isolated medical unit in the jail, ostensibly for his own safety. One former official described the conditions Weinstein would likely be staying in at Rikers to the Times: “It’s like a little hotel, like your own little apartment,” the former official said. “You have everything you need. It’s very isolated. It’s a way to guarantee his safety.” He added that Weinstein could have his own television, shower and bathroom and possibly a phone.

It was also reported that Weinstein has hired a prison consultant to prepare him for jail.

Weinstein, 67, was found guilty of a criminal sexual act in the first degree against Miriam Haley, and rape in the third degree against Jessica Mann. A criminal sexual act in the first-degree carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 25, and third-degree rape carries a maximum sentence of four—so Weinstein is facing a maximum of 29 years in prison.

Weinstein's attorney Arthur Aidala told reporters yesterday that his client was “upbeat” and “energized” about appealing the conviction. Weinstein is “somewhat flabbergasted by the verdict,” Aidala said, and “there is a portion of him where he’s just scratching his head and he doesn’t know how this happened, but he’s cautiously optimistic” about an appeal.