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Rodriguez, who said in sworn testimony that he was terrified of Miss Maxwell, also said he took the book as an “insurance policy” to prevent Epstein making him “disappear’. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison — the same punishment Epstein received for his sex offences — in June last year. His wife, Patricia Dunn, told The Daily Telegraph that he was “sorry” for his error. Dave Lee Brannon, an Assistant Public Defender who represented Rodriguez, said: “If this book had been produced when requested, Mr Epstein’s sentence may have been significantly different.” Details of the journal emerged in a lawsuit brought in Florida by Epstein against Brad Edwards, a lawyer representing several alleged victims. Epstein alleges Edwards was linked to a "Ponzi scheme" run by a colleague, which lured investors by falsely claiming Epstein had agreed to settle sex-offence lawsuits for hundreds of millions of dollars. Edwards rejects the allegation, which has already been dismissed by the Florida Bar. © Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2011 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_013439