State of Florida v. Jeffrey Epstein

Court Cases

2008 plea and state charges

Florida prosecutors charged Jeffrey Epstein in 2006 with procuring a minor for prostitution. After lengthy negotiations he reached a controversial plea deal in 2008, pleading guilty to state charges of solicitation and receiving an eighteen-month sentence, of which he served thirteen months mostly on work release.

From March 2005 through 2006, Palm Beach Police documented more than twenty minors abused for payment at Jeffrey Edward Epstein's Palm Beach estate.1 A 60-count draft federal indictment was prepared, yet a September 24, 2007 non-prosecution agreement (NPA) transferred accountability to state court and barred any federal charges against Epstein and named or unnamed associates.23 On June 30, 2008 he pled guilty to two state felonies, received an 18-month county sentence, and served fewer than 13 months—largely on daytime work release—before a year of community control.34 The deal drew sustained criticism from victims, a federal judge, and the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility.56

  Case Profile

Key identifiers for the investigative file are set out below.

FieldDetail
SubjectJeffrey Edward Epstein (DOB 01-20-1953)
Local Case No.2006-CF-009495 (Palm Beach County)
Federal StatusClosed by NPA (09-24-2007)
State PleaSolicitation of Prostitution; Procurement of Minor for Prostitution
Sentence18 mos county jail + 12 mos community control; 12 h/day work release
InvestigatorsPalm Beach PD; FBI West Palm Beach RA
Lead ProsecutorR. Alexander Acosta (USAO-SDFL)
Defense LeadRoy Black et al.

  Investigation Overview

The Palm Beach PD complaint by a 14-year-old (March 15, 2005) triggered local surveillance, witness interviews, and a June 2006 state grand-jury indictment for felony solicitation.12 Dissatisfied detectives referred the matter to the FBI, which opened a parallel case and by May 2007 supported a 60-count indictment alleging interstate sex-trafficking violations.2

  Evidence Summary

The probable-cause affidavit details a consistent pattern: assistants recruited high-school girls for paid "massages," Epstein masturbated or used vibrators, and cash payments ranged from $200 to $1,000.1 Statements from five victims and seventeen witnesses underpinned both state and federal charging theories.

  Negotiations and the Non-Prosecution Agreement

Between May and September 2007, defense counsel met repeatedly with USAO leadership; the NPA promised Epstein would plead to state charges, register as a sex offender, and compensate victims, while federal prosecutors agreed to "not institute any criminal charges" against him or "any potential co-conspirators."3 OPR later concluded the decision showed "poor judgment" and victims were not consulted.567

  State Plea and Sentence Administration

Epstein entered his plea on June 30, 2008; the state court adopted the pre-negotiated 18-month sentence.3 Jail memoranda show his cell door was left unlocked, deputies allowed entry to his residence at least nine times, and he spent up to 12 hours daily at a shell nonprofit.489 He was released to community control on July 22, 2009.

  Victim Litigation and CVRA Ruling

Victims Jane Doe 1 and 2 filed a Crime Victims' Rights Act petition on July 7, 2008; Judge Kenneth Marra ruled on February 21, 2019 that the government violated their right to be consulted before finalizing the NPA.10 Parallel state litigation has since secured release of additional grand-jury and investigative records.1112

  OPR Findings and Public Response

The November 2020 OPR summary faulted Acosta's judgment but found no professional misconduct; victims and lawmakers labeled the report a "whitewash."567 Acosta's televised defense on July 10, 2019 failed to quell criticism and he resigned two days later.136

  Timeline of Key Events 14

DateEvent
03-15-2005First victim complaint to Palm Beach PD
07-19-2006State grand-jury indictment (solicitation)
05-15-2007USAO drafts 60-count federal indictment
09-24-2007Federal NPA executed
06-30-2008Epstein pleads guilty in state court
10-2008 → 07-2009Work-release schedule in effect
02-21-2019CVRA ruling against USAO
11-12-2020DOJ OPR executive summary released

  Assessment

The evidence collected in 2005-06 supported a significant federal trafficking case, yet strategic negotiations converted it to a state plea that minimized custody and insulated potential accomplices. Subsequent civil, congressional, and DOJ reviews cite the lack of victim notification and the breadth of immunity as continuing risks to public trust in federal enforcement.

  Footnotes

  1. Palm Beach Police Department, Probable Cause Affidavit (2006) ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility, Executive Summary (Nov 2020) ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. Non-Prosecution Agreement, U.S. v. Epstein (Sept 24 2007) ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  4. Washington Post, "Unlocked cell in Florida jail" (Jul 19 2019) ↩ ↩2

  5. DOJ, "Statement on OPR Report on Jeffrey Epstein 2006-2008 Investigation" (Nov 12 2020) ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  6. ABC News, "US Attorney Alex Acosta showed ‘poor judgment' when giving Epstein plea deal" (Nov 12 2020) ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  7. ABC News, "Key takeaways from the DOJ review of Epstein deal" (Nov 16 2020) ↩ ↩2

  8. Washington Post, "Epstein's wealth allowed him many perks while serving jail time" (Jul 17 2019) ↩

  9. CBS News, "Jeffrey Epstein bought women's panties while serving time" (Aug 18 2019) ↩

  10. Doe v. United States, 359 F. Supp. 3d 1201 (S.D. Fla. 2019) ↩

  11. Washington Post, "Judge releases Epstein grand-jury records" (Jul 1 2024) ↩

  12. CBS News, "Court: grand-jury transcripts may be released" (May 19 2023) ↩

  13. ABC News, "Acosta defends his role in Epstein plea deal" (Jul 10 2019) ↩

  14. ABC News, "Rise and fall of Jeffrey Epstein: timeline" (Aug 10 2019) ↩

Published on June 30, 2006

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