“I've probably gotten a dozen calls — people saying, 'I want to know why he's in VIP!’” Mr Hull told NBC News. ”All that is is a name and number. It's a small, fully functional, self-contained cell unit for high-profile inmates.”

“There's no special privileges for him,” Mr Hull said. "There's nothing special about him beyond the notoriety of his particular situation".

Mr Manafort is separated from the majority of inmates at Northern Neck, who typically reside in units with at least eight to 16 cells. Prior to his stay in jail, the 69-year-old was under house arrest ahead of the trials in both Virginia and Washington DC.

The Virginia trial is expected to being in July, and the Washington trial in September. Until then, Mr Manafort will only be granted “no contact” visitation rights with his attorneys, separated by a glass wall, according to the jail’s rules for inmates. He can also rent a tablet device for $15 a month.