EFTA00214218.pdf

The Blotter: Millionaire Sex Scandal Page 1 of 8 Millionaire Employs Legal Dream Team in Sex Scandal July 28, 2006 3:16 PM Maddy Sauer Reports: Though he's only been charged with solicitation of a prostitute, New York financier Jeffrey Epstein has a dream team of lawyers working on his behalf. A lengthy police probe was conducted in Palm Beach to investigate allegations that Epstein paid young and underage girls to massage him and have sex or engage in sexual activity with him. Police had wanted to arrest him on four counts of illegal sexual activity with minors. While that investigation was ongoing, Epstein's lawyers were already hard at work. His defense team includes Alan Dershowitz, Roy Black, Jack Goldberger, and Gerald Lefcourt. Roy Black, whose former clients include Rush Limbaugh and William Kennedy Smith, said that private investigators were used to investigate the claims made by the young and underage girls who told police they were paid to massage Epstein. According to police documents obtained by ABC News, some girls and their families reported being harassed and followed by private eyes working for Epstein. One girl's father told police that he had been "followed aggressively by a private investigator" who was "running other vehicles off the road in an attempt not to lose sight" of him, according to police records. Black said the allegations about the private investigators' behavior are false and that proof of that was submitted to the state attorney's office and the grand jury. He also added that the use of private investigators is not unusual in a case when police allege criminal activity. Also on the team is Alan Dershowitz, who defended OJ Simpson and Claus Von Bulow. It was Dershowitz, according to police documents, who provided the state attorney's office with a package of damning material on the main "victims" in the case. That package included images from myspace.com, in which some of them speak about alcohol and marijuana use, according to police documents. Dershowitz has not returned calls from ABC News seeking comment. Gerald Lefcourt, Epstein's New York-based attorney, who defended Russell Crowe and Abbie Hoffman, has been engaging in the public relations spin. He reportedly told the New York Post that: "The prosecutor didn't want to bring any c • • , but because of the craziness of the police chief, we have the charge of solicitation." The chief of police in Palm Beach, wrote in a letter to parents of the alleged victims that he does not believe justice has been served in this case. He also wrote to State Attorney Krischer urging him to "consider if good and sufficient reason exists to require your disqualification from the prosecution of these cases." http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/millionaire_sex_scandallindex.html 1/2/2008 EFTA00214218 The Blotter: Millionaire Sex Scandal Page 2 of 8 Lefcourt has not returned calls from ABC News seeking comment. Jack Goldberger is the local attorney who said yesterday that Epstein overwhelmingly passed a lie detector test administered by a highly respected expert. "This expert is regularly called upon by numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Palm Beach County State Attorney's office," said Goldberger. "Moreover, a 13-month investigation by local law enforcement, which included a search of Mr. Epstein's home, turned up absolutely no evidence to support or corroborate these allegations." The Police Chief does not agree with Mr. Goldberger's assessments. A spokesperson for Chiens told ABC News: "We think our investigation speaks for itself." With no further action expected from the state attorney's office, police have turned the case over to the FBI, which is reviewing the case and could get involved if it is determined that federal statutes making it unlawful to have sex with minors have been violated. Meanwhile, the state attorney's office said yesterday that the no further charges will be brought. He will be arraigned and it could go to trial on the charge of sollicitation. It seems that all there is left to do for Epstein is to keep paying his attorney bills. Click here to read ABC News' full coverage on the Millionaire Sex Scandal. July 28, 2006 in Millionaire Sex Scandal I Permalink I User Comments (5) Warrants Were Prepared to Arrest Others in Millionaire Sex Scandal July 28, 2006 12:24 PM Maddy Sauer Reports: Palm Beach police were planning to arrest two women in connection with their investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, the New York financier who has been charged with solicitation, though police say he also engaged in illegal sexual activity with minors. ' police investigative documents obtained by ABC News, police prepared and submitted arrest warrant requests in May for Epstein's assistant, standing on the right side of the picture, and -pictured in the middle, who police say was http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/millionaire_sex_scandallindex.html 1/2/2008 EFTA00214219 The Blotter: Millionaire Sex Scandal Page 3 of 8 paid by Epstein to bring over young and underage girls to his house to massage Epstein. was to be arrested as a principal in the first degree on four c unlawful sexual activity with certain minors and as a principal in the first degree on one count of lewd and lascivious molestation. warrant was for lewd and lascivious acts on a victim under 16 years of age. According to police documents, some of the girls who massy ed E stein claimed that his assistant, would often prepare the massage table and arrange the oils before Epstein's massages. would also allegedly call the girls when Epstein was in town to see if they wanted "work." One girl told police, "Work is the term used by o provide the massage in underwear," according to police documents. One girl also claimed that had attempted to reach her after the girl had been interviewed by police to talk about the questioning, according to police documents. did not return a call seeking comment. _was iaed by police in October 2005, and police say she admitted she brought six girls, ages 14 to 16, to Epstein's house to massage him. evas paid $200 each time she brought a girl over, according to her statement to police. Police saatold them she wished to assist in their investigation in hopes of receiving a lesser charge. Police say that a.Mas being driven home from questioning, she remarked, "I'm like a Heidi Fliess." Another woman involved in the scandal was Epstein's girlfriend documents do not mention that any charges were being sought agams into the United States to be his 16-years-old, told police that she was aid by Epstein to have sex with bragged he brought her Attempts to contac and have not been successful. standing to the left in the above picture. Though the one girl, who began massaging Epstein when she was as he watched. The girl also told police that "Epstein sex slave," according to the documents. The warrants for and were submitted to the state attorney's office on May 4. A week later, no arrests had taken place. One police detective noted in the documents that he asked the assistant state attorney to take action. "I asked that she either issue the warrants or direct file, as so much time has elapsed since the original request to the Grand Jury," he noted. "I explained that the Palm Beach Police Department had concluded the case in December of 2005 and has been waiting for the case to go forward." http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/millionaire_sex_scandallindex.html 1/2/2008 EFTA00214220 The Blotter: Millionaire Sex Scandal Page 4 of 8 About six weeks later, after the state attorney's office had conducted their own additional investigation into the matter, State Attorney Barry Krischer decided to send the case to the grand jury. Earlier this week the grand jury indicted Epstein for solicitation of a prostitute. No charges were brought against or IM The case is now closed as far as the state attorney's office is concerned. The police, meanwhile, have tuned the matter over to the FBI. Click here to read ABC News' full coverage on the Millionaire Sex Scandal. July 28, 2006 in Millionaire Sex Scandal I Permalink I User Comments (7) Despite Lengthy Police Probe, State Attorney Closes Millionaire's Sex Case July 27, 2006 7:15 PM Maddy Sauer and Vic Walter Report: Despite cries of injustice by the Chief of Police in Palm Beach, the State Attorney's office said today that no further charges will be brought and that the case is closed on financier Jeffrey Epstein, who police allege engaged in illegal sex acts with minors. Some 90 pages of police investigative documents obtained by ABC News reveal that police detectives interviewed two 14-year-old girls, eight 16-year-old girls and five 17-year-old girls, in addition to women that were of legal age during the course of their investigation. Many of them told police that they were paid to massage Mr. Epstein, and many claimed he had touched them and/or had sex with them. Seen in the picture above, 20, accord own statement to police, provided Epstein with young girls to massage him. "The younger the better," ps em sat , according to statement. stated every girl she brought knew what to expect when they arrived," says the report. "They were told they would provide a massage, possibly naked, and some touching." Efforts to contact have not been successful. The Palm Beach Police Chief is angry that a grand jury has indicted Epstein on charges of solicitation of a prostitute, not on the more serious charges of illegal sex acts with minors. Epstein's attorneys say the grand jury's decision speaks for itself. "Mr. Epstein's case was reviewed by a grand jury comprised of 26 Palm Beach County citizens, who did not believe the allegations http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/millionaire_sex_scandallindex.html 1/2/2008 EFTA00214221 The Blotter: Millionaire Sex Scandal Page 5 of 8 contained in the police report or the credibility of the witnesses," said one of Epstein's attorneys, Jack Goldberger. The grand jury was convened last week and met for one day and heard testimony from a number of witnesses, according to a spokesman for the state attorney's office, Mike Edmondson. Cases are turned over to the grand jury when there are problems with the case, according to Edmondson, which could include issues of witness credibility or tainting of evidence. Another attorney for Epstein, Roy Black, said that the grand jury was presented with evidence that the girls represented themselves to Epstein as being at least 18 years of age. Goldberger also added that Epstein voluntarily submitted to a lie detector test and "overwhelmingly passed" every question "including those about any knowledge that any individual was under age." The police report, however, suggests a different story. One 16-year-old told police that Epstein was aware of her age and that he would ask her questions about her high school, according to police. A former employee of Epstein's told police that he was once instructed to deliver roses to a girl following a high school drama performance. One girl, however, told police that when Epstein asked her age, she told him that she was I8-years-old and in the 12th grade, according to the police report. The police report also contains other serious allegations. One girl told police that she visited Epstein's house when she was 15- or 16- years-old to give him a massage, according to the documents. Epstein, she said, masturbated during the massage and touched her vaginal area. Afterward, she told police that Epstein said to her "that she could not tell anyone what happened at the house or bad things would happen," according to the police report. Another girl told police that on one occasion, Epstein forced himself on her. "She said her head was being held against the table forcibly, as he continued to pump inside her. She screamed 'No!' and Epstein stopped," according to the affidavit. With no further action expected from the state attorney's office, police have turned the case over to the FBI, which is reviewing the case and could get involved if it is determined that federal statutes making it unlawful to have sex with minors have been violated. Those include, solicitation of sex by way of the internet and interstate travel to have sex with a minor. In the police report, there is a mention that one of Epstein's private jet pilots was interviewed, but he told police he could not recall specific names of passengers. Click here to read ABC News' full coverage on the Millionaire Sex Scandal. http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/millionaire_sex_scandallindex.html 1/2/2008 EFTA00214222 The Blotter: Millionaire Sex Scandal Page 6 of 8 Jul) 27, 2006 in Millionaire Sex Scandal I Permalink I User Comments (1) Palm Beach Police Chief Says Justice Wasn't Served in Teen Sex Scandal July 26, 2006 6:47 PM Maddy Sauer Reports: "I do not feel that justice has been sufficiently served," wrote Palm Beach Police Chief • in a letter he sent to the parents of young girls that he believes are victims of sex crimes committed by New York financier Jeffrey Epstein. The police chief is angry that despite his department's lengthy probe of Epstein's alleged illegal sexual activity with underage girls, Epstein was indicted on a much lesser charge of soliciting a prostitute. The probable cause affidavit for Epstein's arrest alleges much more serious acts. Epstein is alleged to have repeatedly paid young, and some underage girls, to come to his house, massage him and on a few occasions have sex with him, according to the affidavit. Meanwhile, the Palm Beach police have referred the matter to the FBI. Today, Epstein's attorney called the allegations untrue and said that the witnesses' credibility had been called into question. "The reports and statements in question refer to false accusations that were not charged because the Palm Beach County State Attorney's office questioned the credibility of the witnesses, and a Palm Beach County grand jury decided not to believe the allegations," said Jack Goldberger. "Consequently, the grand jury chose not to accuse Mr. Epstein of anything beyond the solicitation of a prostitute." Calls seeking comment from the Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer were not returned today. Chie as not been happy with ICrischer's handling of the matter for some time. He wrote an angry letter to him in May urging him to consi er isqualifying himself from the prosecution of the case sayizCI must renew my prior observation to you that I continue to find your office's treatment of these cases highly unusual," wrote He urged Krischer to "consider if good and sufficient reason exists to require your disqualification from the prosecution of these cases." The police believed they had probable cause to arrest Epstein on four counts of unlawful sex acts with minors and one count of lewd and lascivious molestation. While Epstein was indicted on charges of soliciting a prostitute, the allegations in the police affidavit are more serious. Among them: - A girl who began massaging Epstein when she was 16 years old told police she became his "number one girl" and had visited his house http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/millionaire_sex_scandal/index.html 1/2/2008 EFTA00214223 The Blotter: Millionaire Sex Scandal Page 7 of 8 hundreds of times. According to police, she said that when she told Epstein she was 16 years old, he advised her not to tell anyone that. This same girl said she and Epstein had an understanding that no vaginal penetration would occur. Yet on one occasion, she told police, Epstein forced himself on her. "She said her head was being held against the table forcibly, as he continued to pump inside her. She screamed No!' and Epstein stopped," according to the affidavit. Epstein allegedly paid the girl $1,000 for that visit. - A 14-year-old girl and her family reported that Epstein had touched the girl's vaginal area with a vibrator when she was at his house. - One woman who would bring young girls to Epstein's house to massage him told police she brought six girls to see him, and that they were all ages 14 to 16. - Many of the girls told police that Epstein would try and convince them to take off more clothing or to go further sexually than they were comfortable doing. "Jeff would try to get away with more and more on each massage," said one girl who began massaging Epstein when she was 16 years old. Click here to read ABC News' full coverage on the Millionaire Sex Scandal. July 26, 2006 in Millionaire Sex Scandal I Permalink I User Comments (19) NY Moneyman Arrested in Teen Sex Scandal July 25, 2006 4:50 PM Fiore Mastroianni Reports: New York's financier to the billionaires, Jeffrey Epstein, 53, was arrested by Palm Beach County Police this week on the charge of soliciting a prostitute, a third degree felony. The probable cause affidavit for the arrest warrant filed by Palm Beach police, however, alleges some more serious acts. Epstein repeatedly paid young, and some underage girls, to come to his house, massage him and on a few occasions have sex with him, according to the affidavit. Epstein, an acquaintance of former President Bill Clinton, is well-known for the millions he made investing with Bear Stearns and later on his own. His private residence is an eight-story mansion in Manhattan where he reportedly spent $10 million in renovations. He lent his private 727 jet for Clinton's 2002 trip to Africa and often donates large sums of money to private, scientific research. According to a Palm Beach County Police probable cause affidavit, for more than two years, an acquaintance of Epstein and his assistant offered him girls as young as 14 to give Epstein massages in his Palm Beach home for between $200 and $350. http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/millionaire_sex_scandallindex.html 1/2/2008 EFTA00214224 The Blotter: Millionaire Sex Scandal Page 8 of 8 According to police, witnesses say that Epstein was naked for the massages and encouraged the girls to remove clothing as they rubbed his chest and back. The affidavit also says that on at least three occasions Epstein had sexual and digital intercourse with his "victims." On one occasion, he paid an underage girl to engage in sex acts with his friend while he watched, according to the affidavit. Throughout the encounters, states the affidavit, Epstein told the girls not to tell anyone their real age and to lie if asked. Police say that a former houseman told them that Epstein received two massages every day while he was at his house in Palm Beach. At one point, a 23-year-old woman was brought over to provide the massage but, according to a witness cited in the affidavit, Epstein turned her away because he thought she was too old. Epstein's spokesman said he had no comment. Read the Probable Cause Affidavit Alleging "Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor" by Jeffrey Epstein. Click here to read ABC News' full coverage on the Millionaire Sex Scandal. July 25, 2006 in Millionaire Sex Scandal I Permalink I User Comments (40) http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/millionaire_sex_scandallindex.html 1/2/2008 EFTA00214225