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780 KB
Extraction Summary
5
People
6
Organizations
1
Locations
7
Events
4
Relationships
8
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
Legal document
File Size:
780 KB
Summary
This document details the continued federal investigation into Epstein after the signing of his Non-Prosecution Agreement (NPA). It outlines specific actions taken by prosecutor Villafaña, the FBI, and CEOS between late 2007 and mid-2008, such as interviewing new victims and preparing for trial, to demonstrate that the investigation remained active. The document asserts that communications to victims stating the case was 'currently under investigation' were accurate, despite potentially being misleading.
People (5)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Epstein | Subject of investigation |
Mentioned throughout as the subject of a federal investigation, whose appeal and delay led investigators to believe h...
|
| Villafaña | Investigator/Prosecutor |
A key figure in the investigation who took numerous steps to prepare for trial against Epstein, including interviewin...
|
| Acosta |
Predicted in an April 2008 email that charging Epstein was becoming more likely.
|
|
| Wild | Victim |
Mentioned in a footnote as a victim for whom Villafaña secured pro bono counsel to assist in "avoiding the improper d...
|
| Edwards | CVRA-case attorney |
Mentioned in a footnote as the attorney for Wild who filed a 2017 affidavit.
|
Organizations (6)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Justice | Government agency |
Referred to as "the Department," to which Epstein appealed. Also mentioned is the Department's Civil Rights Division.
|
| USAO | Government agency |
U.S. Attorney's Office, which was expected to file charges against Epstein and informed the Civil Rights Division of ...
|
| FBI | Government agency |
Federal Bureau of Investigation, which interviewed victims between October 2007 and May 2008 and sent letters to vict...
|
| CEOS | Government agency |
Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, which assigned a Trial Attorney to the Epstein case in January 2008.
|
| Department’s Civil Rights Division | Government agency |
Informed by the USAO about the "ongoing investigation of a child exploitation matter" involving Epstein.
|
| OPR | Government agency |
Office of Professional Responsibility, to whom Villafaña and an FBI case agent provided their perspectives on the sta...
|
Timeline (7 events)
Locations (1)
| Location | Context |
|---|---|
|
Mentioned in the context of the "Florida criminal case" where Epstein's attorneys were seeking depositions from victims.
|
Relationships (4)
Villafaña was actively preparing a trial against Epstein, revising indictments, and interviewing victims related to his case.
They were both involved in the Epstein case, with Acosta's prediction about charges influencing Villafaña and the case agents to continue their trial preparations.
Villafaña secured pro bono legal representation for Wild, a victim in the case, to assist with a legal matter.
Key Quotes (8)
"more and more likely"Source
— Acosta
(In an April 2008 email predicting that the USAO would file charges against Epstein.)
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Quote #1
"a national perspective"Source
— CEOS
(The expertise the CEOS Trial Attorney was assigned to bring to the matter.)
DOJ-OGR-00021465.jpg
Quote #2
"on victims who are unknown to Epstein’s counsel."Source
— Villafaña
(The revised focus of the prosecution memorandum.)
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Quote #3
"ongoing investigation of a child exploitation matter"Source
— USAO
(How the USAO described its work involving Epstein to the Department's Civil Rights Division.)
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Quote #4
"currently under investigation"Source
— FBI victim letter
(The assertion in the letter regarding the status of the case, which Villafaña told OPR was 'absolutely true'.)
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Quote #5
"absolutely true"Source
— Villafaña
(Her perspective, told to OPR, on the accuracy of the FBI victim letter's claim that the case was under investigation.)
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Quote #6
"case was never closed and the investigation was delivered"Source
— FBI case agent
(Statement made to OPR about the status of the case at the time the victim letters were sent.)
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Quote #7
"avoiding the improper deposition"Source
— Edwards (in an affidavit)
(The purpose of the pro bono counsel that Villafaña secured for the victim Wild.)
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Quote #8
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (2,765 characters)
Case 22-1426, Document 78, 06/29/2023, 3536039, Page35 of 217
SA-289
Case 1:20-cr-00330-AJN Document 204-3 Filed 04/16/21 Page 289 of 348
SA-289
Case 1:20-cr-00330-AJN Document 204-3 Filed 04/16/21 Page 289 of 348
B. Because the Federal Investigation Continued after the NPA Was Signed, the FBI Letters Were Accurate but Risked Misleading Victims regarding the Status of the Federal Investigation
As described previously, given Epstein’s appeal to the Department and continued delay entering his guilty plea, Villafaña and other subjects came to believe that Epstein did not intend to comply with the NPA and that the USAO would ultimately file charges against Epstein. By April 2008, Acosta predicted in an email that charging Epstein was “more and more likely.” As a result, Villafaña and the case agents continued their efforts to prepare for a likely trial with additional investigative steps. Among other actions, Villafaña, her supervisors, CEOS, and the case agents engaged in the following investigative activities:
* The FBI interviewed victims in October and November 2007 and between January and May 2008, and discovered at least six new victims.
* In January 2008, CEOS assigned a Trial Attorney to bring expertise and “a national perspective” to the matter.
* In January and February 2008, Villafaña and the CEOS Trial Attorney participated in victim interviews.
* Villafaña revised the prosecution memorandum to focus “on victims who are unknown to Epstein’s counsel.”
* The USAO informed the Department’s Civil Rights Division “pursuant to USAM [§] 8-3.120,” of the USAO’s “ongoing investigation of a child exploitation matter” involving Epstein and others.
* Villafaña secured pro bono legal representation for victims whose depositions were being sought by Epstein’s attorneys in connection with the Florida criminal case.413
* Villafaña prepared a revised draft indictment.
* Villafaña sought and obtained approval to provide immunity to a potential government witness in exchange for that witness’s testimony.
* Even after Epstein’s state plea hearing was set for June 30, 2008, Villafaña took steps to facilitate the filing of federal charges on July 1, 2008, in the event he did not plead guilty.
* In January 2008, CEOS assigned a Trial Attorney to bring expertise and “a national perspective” to the matter.
* In January and February 2008, Villafaña and the CEOS Trial Attorney participated in victim interviews.
* Villafaña revised the prosecution memorandum to focus “on victims who are unknown to Epstein’s counsel.”
* The USAO informed the Department’s Civil Rights Division “pursuant to USAM [§] 8-3.120,” of the USAO’s “ongoing investigation of a child exploitation matter” involving Epstein and others.
* Villafaña secured pro bono legal representation for victims whose depositions were being sought by Epstein’s attorneys in connection with the Florida criminal case.413
* Villafaña prepared a revised draft indictment.
* Villafaña sought and obtained approval to provide immunity to a potential government witness in exchange for that witness’s testimony.
* Even after Epstein’s state plea hearing was set for June 30, 2008, Villafaña took steps to facilitate the filing of federal charges on July 1, 2008, in the event he did not plead guilty.
Villafaña told OPR that from her perspective, the assertion in the FBI victim letter that the case was “currently under investigation” was “absolutely true.” Similarly, the FBI case agent told OPR that at the time the letters were sent the “case was never closed and the investigation was delivered, along with the FBI’s own victim’s rights pamphlet and notification letter, to victims following their FBI interviews.
413 According to the 2017 affidavit filed by Wild’s CVRA-case attorney, Edwards, the pro bono counsel that Villafaña secured assisted Wild in “avoiding the improper deposition.”
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