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Case 1:20-cr-00330-PAE Document 293-1 Filed 05/25/21 Page 139 of 349 The Court: Are all the victims in both these cases in agreement with the terms of the plea? Ms. Belohlavek: I have spoken to several myself and I have spoken to counsel, through counsel as to the other victim, and I believe, yes. The Court: And with regard to the victims under age eighteen, is that victim’s parents or guardian in agreement with the plea? Ms. Belohlavek: That victim is not under age 18 any more and that’s why we spoke with her counsel. The Court: And she is in agreement with the plea? Ms. Belohlavek: Yes, 78 When the court asked if the plea was “in any way tied to any promises or representations by any civil attorneys or other jurisdictions,” Goldberger and Belohlavek, with Epstein present, spoke with the judge at sidebar and disclosed the existence of the “confidential” non-prosecution agreement with the USAO, and the court ordered that a copy of it be filed under seal with the court. After the court accepted Epstein’s guilty pleas, and imposed sentence on him pursuant to the plea agreement, Epstein was taken into custody to begin serving his sentence immediately. In the aftermath of the plea, numerous individuals familiar with the investigation expressed positive reactions to the outcome, and Villafafia received several congratulatory messages. Oosterbaan wrote, “Congratulations, Marie—at long last! Your work on this matter was truly exceptional, and you obtained a very significant result that will serve the victims well.” One senior colleague who was familiar with the case noted, “This case only resolved with the filthy rich bad guy going to jail because of your dedication and determination.” Another wrote, “If it had not been for you, he would have gotten away with it.” The CEOS Trial Attorney who had worked briefly with Villafafia told her, “But for your tenacity, he’d be somewhere ruining another child’s life.” One victim’s attorney stated, “[G]reat job of not letting this guy off.” But Villafafia was not satisfied with the outcome, responding to one colleague, “After all the hell they put me through, I don’t feel like celebrating 18 months. He should be spending 18 years in jail.” Acosta later publicly stated that the FBI Special Agent in Charge called him “to offer congratulations” and “to praise our prosecutors for holding firm against the likes of Messrs. Black, 176 Plea Hearing Transcript at 20, 42. OPR was unable to determine to which victims Belohlavek was referring, and Belohlovek did not recall during her OPR interview, but it is possible that she was referring only to the victims of the charged crimes rather than to all of the victims identified in either the state or federal investigations. Belohlavek told OPR that because of the nature of the charges (that is, involving prostitution), she did not know whether “technically under the law” the girls were “victims” whom she was required to notify of the plea hearing. 112 DOJ-OGR- 00004436