The Manhattan DA has dropped its probe into 2005 sex assault accusations a Long Island woman made against a Wall Street lawyer — which the accuser says is a surprise move given the office’s pursuit of even older claims against Harvey Weinstein.
Prosecutors will not bring a case against elderly lawyer Allen Isaac for allegedly assaulting Luisa Esposito nearly 13 years ago, the long-suffering woman was recently told by a DA’s office higher-up.
“We cannot prosecute for sexual abuse that occurred in 2005,” the office’s Special Victims Bureau Deputy Chief, Jennifer Gaffney, can be heard telling Esposito on a recording of the conversation provided to The Post.
“The police can’t make an arrest on that case and can’t prosecute because the case is beyond the statute of limitations at this point,” explained Gaffney.
The about-face comes a little over a month after detectives from the sex-crimes unit told Esposito that they would be taking a second look at the cold case after her claims were dismissed for years.
Isaac groped Esposito and tried to extort oral sex from her in exchange for representation on a personal injury case in 2005, claims Esposito.
Despite making a secret recording of the married father of three, then in his 70s, admitting to the attack, Esposito says she was largely ignored by the NYPD’s Special Victims Division and the DA’s Office.
Esposito is troubled by losing her shot at justice to the statute of limitations in the light of the recent indictment of disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein on even older charges.
“You bring in Weinstein on 2004 charges, and you make an arrest, and my case from 2005 is statuted out?” she said.
Esposito and her lawyer, Peter Gleason, are planning to hold a press conference at Weinstein’s next court date, Sept. 20.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.