FBI Victim Notification Records & CVRA Compliance

FBI VICTIM NOTIFICATION RECORDS FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION, VICTIM SERVICES DIVISION The FBI victim notification records document the Bureau's efforts to comply with the Crime Victims' Rights Act (CVRA), 18 U.S.C. section 3771, by notifying identified victims of Jeffrey Epstein about significant case developments. These records span the period from the 2019 reopening of the investigation through the aftermath of Epstein's death on August 10, 2019, and the subsequent prosecution of Ghislaine Maxwell. CVRA COMPLIANCE BACKGROUND: The obligation to notify victims in the Epstein case carried particular legal significance given the 2019 ruling in Doe v. United States (Case No. 08-80736, S.D. Fla.), in which Judge Kenneth Marra found that the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida had violated the CVRA by failing to notify victims before entering into the 2008 non-prosecution agreement with Epstein. The FBI's victim notification procedures in the 2019 case were designed to ensure full compliance with the statute and to address the failures identified in the earlier proceedings. SCOPE OF NOTIFICATIONS: The records document notifications sent to victims regarding multiple case milestones: Epstein's arrest on July 6, 2019; his arraignment and bail proceedings in the Southern District of New York; his death at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on August 10, 2019; the subsequent dismissal of the criminal charges; and the opening of the related criminal investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell. Additional notifications were issued when Maxwell was arrested on July 2, 2020, and throughout her trial proceedings in November-December 2021. VICTIM IDENTIFICATION EFFORTS: The notification records reflect an extensive effort to identify and locate victims beyond those already known to law enforcement. Following Epstein's arrest, the FBI established a dedicated hotline and worked with victim advocacy organizations to reach individuals who had not previously come forward. The records indicate that dozens of additional victims were identified through these outreach efforts. VICTIM IMPACT AND RESTITUTION: The records also document the process by which victims were informed of their rights to submit victim impact statements and to participate in restitution proceedings. These notifications were issued in connection with both the Epstein case and the Maxwell prosecution. Source: FBI Victim Services Division; CVRA compliance records, S.D.N.Y.