Harvey Weinstein 'Secretly Indicted' On Rape Charges In Los Angeles

Harvey Weinstein has been secretly indicted on rape charges in Los Angeles.

Source: New York Daily News / Getty

According to a Sunday report from Fox News, the indictment against the disgraced film producer was brought by an LA grand jury a few weeks ago. The incident remains under seal but is expected to be publicly revealed during an extradition hearing for Weinstein in Erie County, New York on Monday. An arrest warrant for Weinstein will be made public at the same time.

Harvey Weinstein is currently serving a 23-year sentence for rape and criminal sex act at the Wende Correctional Facility in Erie County. During this time, Los Angeles authorities have been trying to bring the former Hollywood hotshot to California to face sex-crime charges there. According to Fox, the LA indictment is virtually identical to the criminal complaint filed against Weinstein in January 2020 by the LA County District Attorney’s Office.

Weinstein has been charged with 11 counts of rape, sexual battery, and other raps stemming from the allegations of five women in California. If convicted, he will face 140 years to life in prison.

In February 2020, he was found guilty by a Manhattan jury of raping hairstylist Jessica Mann in 2013 along with forcibly performing oral sex on former Project Runway staffer Miriam “Mimi” Haleyi in 2006. He appealed that conviction earlier this month, claiming he was “deprived of a fair trial.”

Weinstein’s extradition to the other coast has already been pushed back twice due to the coronavirus pandemic, but the DA’s office is reportedly done waiting,  saying the indictment could streamline the process. Still, his lawyers are expected to ask for another delay of the extradition on Monday due to his “poor” health conditions.