Harvey Weinsteinis expected to turn himself into authorities on Friday.
Investigators in Manhattan are preparing to place the disgraced movie mogul under arrest tomorrow following a lengthy investigation into allegations that he sexually assaulted multiple women, a source tells PEOPLE.
Weinstein, 66, is reportedly facing chargesin connection with Lucia Evans, who told investigators that the producerforced her to perform oral sexon him in 2004, and possibly additional charges relating to other accusers, theNew York Daily Newsreports.
Sources also told the outlet that a grand jury was convened weeks ago to hear the evidence against Weinstein.
The producer’s attorney Benjamin Brafman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
After news of Weinstein’s possible arrest broke, theNew Yorkerpublishedan interview with Evans who confirmed she was pressing charges against the Weinstein.
“At a certain point, you have to think about the greater good of humanity, of womankind,” she toldRonan Farrowabout her decision to cooperate with police.
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“They said that if I do nothing, Harvey would walk,” Evans added. “I think the significance hit all at once.”
“I know how this has changed my life for the worse. How he took away my self-esteem and personal power. And knowing I can take it back, and stop him from doing that to another woman, I couldn’t let that go.”
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The sexual misconduct allegations against Weinstein have also gotten the attention of the federal government.
The U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New Yorkhas begun a criminal probeinvestigating in part whether he enticed or persuaded any women to cross state lines with the intent of committing a sex crime, which is potentially a federal offense, according toThe Wall Street Journal, which was first to report the news.
Brafman confirmed to PEOPLE that he has met with federal prosecutors in the SDNY “in an attempt to dissuade them from proceeding” and will continue to meet with them moving forward.
“Mr. Weinstein has always maintained that he has never engaged in nonconsensual sexual acts,” Brafman added.
source: people.com
