FBI Case Referral: Palm Beach PD Investigation

FBI PALM BEACH INVESTIGATION REFERRAL — 2006 FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, MIAMI FIELD OFFICE In 2006, the Palm Beach Police Department formally referred its investigation of Jeffrey Epstein to the Federal Bureau of Investigation following months of local investigative work that had revealed a pattern of sexual abuse involving underage girls at Epstein's Palm Beach estate. This referral document initiated the federal phase of the Epstein investigation and was directed to the FBI's Miami Field Office for coordination with the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida. BACKGROUND OF THE REFERRAL: The Palm Beach Police Department began investigating Jeffrey Epstein in March 2005 after a parent reported that her fourteen-year-old daughter had been taken to Epstein's residence at 358 El Brillo Way and paid for sexual services. Over the following year, the PBPD identified more than a dozen alleged victims through interviews and undercover operations. Despite this evidence, the Palm Beach County State Attorney's office declined to file felony charges, instead presenting the case to a grand jury that returned only a single charge of solicitation of prostitution. Dissatisfied with this outcome, then-Police Chief Michael Reiter referred the case to the FBI. CONTENTS OF THE REFERRAL: The referral package included witness statements from multiple alleged victims, summaries of undercover operations conducted at the El Brillo Way property, records of trash pulls that yielded physical evidence, and documentation of the recruitment network used to bring underage girls to the residence. The referral specifically noted that the local investigation had identified a pattern consistent with federal sex trafficking statutes, including 18 U.S.C. sections 1591 and 2422. FEDERAL INVESTIGATION LAUNCH: Upon receiving the referral, the FBI Miami Field Office opened a federal investigation. FBI agents conducted additional interviews with victims and witnesses, executed search warrants, and coordinated with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Florida. This investigation ultimately led to the controversial non-prosecution agreement negotiated in 2007-2008 under U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta. Source: FBI Miami Field Office Records; Palm Beach Police Department Investigation File