A retired US financier has been arrested on charges that he lured dozens of women, including former Playboy models, to be sexually and physically assaulted during encounters in his Central Park penthouse in a soundproofed room described in court papers as “The Dungeon”.
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Howard Rubin, 70, was arrested on Friday at his rental home in Fairfield, Connecticut, authorities said. He pleaded not guilty at a federal court in Brooklyn.
His former personal assistant, Jennifer Powers, was also arrested at her home in Southlake, Texas, and was expected to appear in court in Texas on Monday, authorities said.
The wealthy former financier was ordered to remain detained, despite efforts by his lawyers to have him freed on a U$25 million bond. Messages for comment were sent to multiple lawyers for both Rubin and Powers.
During a three-decade career, Rubin worked at various financial firms, including Merrill Lynch, Bear Stearns and Soros Fund Management.
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Prosecutors said Rubin, with the help of Powers, abused the women between 2009 and 2019 after recruiting them to fly to New York to engage in sadomasochistic sex acts with Rubin in exchange for money.