Photos of Ghislaine Maxwell at In-N-Out Burger might have been staged with her lawyer's help

Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan via Getty

Ghislaine Maxwell at Spring Studios in New York City on October 18, 2019.

• Widely-circulated photos of Ghislaine Maxwell, the alleged "madam" of Jeffrey Epstein, may have been staged by her lawyer, according to a DailyMail.com investigation.
• The publication reported that the photos' metadata is linked to a media company owned by Leah Saffian, the lawyer.
• The dog next to Maxwell's feet in the photos also appears to be Saffian's dog, Dexter, who features on Saffian's Instagram page.
• Maxwell's whereabouts remain unknown. She faces increased pressure and scrutiny after Epstein's death earlier this month.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The widely-circulated photos of Ghislaine Maxwell, the ex-girlfriend and accused "madam" of Jeffrey Epstein, at an In-N-Out Burger in Los Angeles was staged by her attorney, according to a DailyMail.com investigation.

Last Thursday, the New York Post published what it described as the "first photos" of Maxwell since Epstein's death the Saturday before.

It showed her in a grey hoodie and glasses, and reading a book while dining outside with a tray of food and two cups in front of her.

However, there appear to be a number of discrepancies in the photos and the Post's report, suggesting the images were misleadingly presented.

The photos' metadata is tagged with "Meadowgate," a media company owned by Leah Saffian, Maxwell's attorney, DailyMail.com reported.

The dog next to Maxwell's feet in the photos also appears to be Saffian's dog, Dexter, DailyMail noted. The publication unearthed Saffian's private Instagram account, which includes multiple photos of Dexter.

The photos of Maxwell also show a poster for "Good Boys," a newly-released movie, at a nearby bus shelter. But according to The Mail on Sunday - a sister publication to DailyMail.com - the bus shelter has most recently been advertising a hospital.

Outfront Media, the advertising agency that manages posters on that bus stop, also told DailyMail.com that the hospital poster had been there since July 28.

The diner who took the photo also seems to have used a sophisticated camera lens, rather than a smartphone camera, DailyMail.com said.

It suggests that the photo was taken by a professional photographer rather than a regular diner, which is what the New York Post's reporting suggested.

Read more: Discrepancies in the photos of Ghislaine Maxwell at In-N-Out Burger suggest they may have been Photoshopped

Lauren Frias/Business Insider

The table where Ghislaine Maxwell was spotted on Monday.

Maxwell, a British socialite, has not made a public appearance in years, and her whereabouts remain unknown. She faces increased pressure and scrutiny after Epstein's death.

She has not yet been criminally charged despite numerous allegations against her in recently-unsealed court documetns.

Former federal prosecutors told Business Insider's Michelle Mark that prosecutors likely won't bring charges against her unless they have an airtight case.

Read more: After Jeffrey Epstein's suicide, Ghislaine Maxwell may have taken his place as the 'kingpin' prosecutors are looking to take down. But experts say don't expect criminal charges anytime soon.

Britain's The Daily Telegraph on Monday published images of Maxwell's sister, Christine, packing up bags near the Massachusetts beachfront mansion owned by tech CEO Scott Borgerson, where Ghislaine was reported to be staying.

Christine Maxwell, who usually lives in Dallas, Texas, declined to discuss the allegations surrounding her sister with the Telegraph, 

Borgerson, however, denied in a conversation with Business Insider's Paige Leskin that his "former friend" Maxwell had been staying there and said he doesn't know where she is now.