Harvey Weinstein is expected to turn himself in to face charges in New York related to allegations of sexual assault, in what would mark the first criminal charges faced by the disgraced former movie mogul, sources familiar with the case said Thursday.
The sources said the case involved but not might be limited to actress Lucia Evans, who alleged that Weinstein assaulted her during a meeting at his Miramax office in 2004. Evans told the New Yorker last year that Weinstein said during a meeting that she’d “be great in ‘Project Runway’” before allegedly forcing her to perform oral sex.
Weinstein has been accused by more than 80 women of misdeeds including sexual harassment and rape. Police in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, New York and London have conducted investigations into more than 20 allegations. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Prosecutors in New York and L.A. have been developing cases against Weinstein, but sources have said for weeks that New York authorities were closest to bringing charges.
The sources, who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity, said they were not clear on the scope of the charges New York prosecutors are planning.
The charges would make a major milestone in the #MeToo movement, which has sparked numerous accusations of misconduct by powerful men in Hollywood and other industries and numerous criminal investigations but few actual criminal charges.
L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey’s team has been reviewing two investigations into Weinstein by Beverly Hills police, as well as three LAPD investigations of the onetime producer, including an Italian actress’ allegation of rape in 2013.
According to law enforcement sources, detectives believe that case is promising for prosecution because the woman told her story to three people, including a priest, relatively soon after the alleged attack. LAPD detectives also have obtained bills showing the woman was a guest at the Beverly Hills hotel where she claims Weinstein attacked her, said the sources. The case does have flows, they added: Detectives found little physical evidence of an attack and have been unable to secure proof that Weinstein was at the hotel when the woman says the rape occurred.
Weinstein had been coming under increase law enforcement scrutiny even since the New York Times published allegations of sexual assault and harassment last summer.
Just this week, the U.S. attorney’s office of the Southern District of New York announced it was investigating Weinstein, seeking to examine whether the mogul lured or induced women to travel across state lines for purposes of committing sexual crimes, said the sources, who were not authorized to comment publicly.
Evans is one of several women who went to New York police claiming they were assaulted by Weinstein.
___
(c)2018 Los Angeles Times
Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
_____
PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194):