What is document EFTA00014122?

This is a series of emails from June 27-28, 2008, between federal prosecutors and Jeffrey Epstein's defense attorneys regarding the compliance of his state plea agreement with the federal non-prosecution agreement. The correspondence documents technical negotiations over sentencing language just days before Epstein's guilty plea on June 30, 2008.

Who is mentioned in this document?

The document mentions Jeffrey Epstein, defense attorneys Jack Goldberger and Roy Black (two prominent criminal defense lawyers who represented Epstein), and unnamed Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of Florida office in West Palm Beach.

What does this document reveal about the 2008 plea deal?

The document reveals that federal prosecutors initially raised compliance concerns about the proposed state sentencing provisions, specifically requiring that the word 'imprisoned' be added to clarify the six-month incarceration requirement. This shows the federal government was monitoring the state plea to ensure it met the terms of the controversial non-prosecution agreement that later became a national scandal.

Why is this document significant?

This document provides firsthand evidence of the behind-the-scenes negotiations that produced one of the most controversial plea deals in American legal history. The 2008 non-prosecution agreement was later found by a federal judge to have violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act and was called 'a national disgrace' by an appeals court. This email chain shows how prosecutors and Epstein's defense team worked together on the technical details of the deal.

What happened after this plea agreement was finalized?

On June 30, 2008—just two days after this email exchange—Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution. He was sentenced to 18 months but served only about 13 months at the Palm Beach County Stockade with generous work-release privileges. The controversy over this deal contributed to Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta's resignation in 2019.

What is document EFTA00014122?

This is a series of emails from June 27-28, 2008, between federal prosecutors and Jeffrey Epstein's defense attorneys regarding the compliance of his state plea agreement with the federal non-prosecution agreement. The correspondence documents technical negotiations over sentencing language just days before Epstein's guilty plea on June 30, 2008.

Who is mentioned in this document?

The document mentions Jeffrey Epstein, defense attorneys Jack Goldberger and Roy Black (two prominent criminal defense lawyers who represented Epstein), and unnamed Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of Florida office in West Palm Beach.

What does this document reveal about the 2008 plea deal?

The document reveals that federal prosecutors initially raised compliance concerns about the proposed state sentencing provisions, specifically requiring that the word 'imprisoned' be added to clarify the six-month incarceration requirement. This shows the federal government was monitoring the state plea to ensure it met the terms of the controversial non-prosecution agreement that later became a national scandal.

Why is this document significant?

This document provides firsthand evidence of the behind-the-scenes negotiations that produced one of the most controversial plea deals in American legal history. The 2008 non-prosecution agreement was later found by a federal judge to have violated the Crime Victims' Rights Act and was called 'a national disgrace' by an appeals court. This email chain shows how prosecutors and Epstein's defense team worked together on the technical details of the deal.

What happened after this plea agreement was finalized?

On June 30, 2008—just two days after this email exchange—Epstein pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution. He was sentenced to 18 months but served only about 13 months at the Palm Beach County Stockade with generous work-release privileges. The controversy over this deal contributed to Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta's resignation in 2019.

EFTA00014122 - EFTA00014123

Email correspondence from June 2008 between federal prosecutors and Jeffrey Epstein's defense attorneys Jack Goldberger and Roy Black regarding compliance issues with the controversial non-prosecution agreement.

This is a critical exchange of emails dated June 27-28, 2008, documenting last-minute negotiations over the wording of Jeffrey Epstein's plea agreement. The correspondence shows prosecutors notifying Epstein's attorneys that the proposed state plea sentencing provision did not comply with the federal non-prosecution agreement, specifically regarding the requirement for 'six months' of incarceration. Goldberger and the prosecutors ultimately confirmed the agreement was in compliance after a phone conference, with prosecutors requesting the word 'imprisoned' be inserted to clarify the sentencing terms.

Key Highlights

•Shows real-time negotiation of the controversial 2008 plea deal that allowed Epstein to avoid federal prosecution
•Documents federal prosecutors requiring specific language about 'imprisonment' to ensure compliance with the non-prosecution agreement
•Reveals coordination between Epstein's high-profile defense team (Jack Goldberger and Roy Black) and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida
•Confirms a phone conference on June 27, 2008 where both sides agreed the state plea was in compliance with federal terms

Frequently Asked Questions

Books for Further Reading

Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

Julie K. Brown

Investigative journalism that broke the Epstein case open

Filthy Rich: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

James Patterson

Bestselling account of Epstein's crimes and network

Relentless Pursuit: My Fight for the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein

Bradley J. Edwards

Victims' attorney's firsthand account

Document Information

Bates Range

EFTA00014122 - EFTA00014123

Pages

Document Content

Page 1 - EFTA00014122

From: To: Cc: Subject: Re: Notice of Non-Compliance Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:02:49 +0000 Importance: Normal --- Original Message ---- From: USAFLS To: Sent: Sat Jun 28 17:14:01 2008 Subject: Fw: Notice of Non-Compliance Jack Goldberger's response below. --- Original Message From: Jack Goldberger To: USAFLS) Sent: Sat Jun 28 15:38:23 2008 Subject: RE: Notice of Non-Compliance not a problem. From: Sent: Sat 612812008 11:31 AM To: Jack Goldberger Cc: Subject: Re: Notice of Non-Compliance Dear Jack: I have conferred with a state court practitioner who stated that there is nothing that prohibits you from agreeing to a consecutive six-month sentence of incarceration followed by one year of community control as specified in the non-prosecution agreement. If you elect to proceed with the plea agreement as currently drafted, we ask that you insert the word "imprisoned" following the words "six months" in the second sentencing paragraph. Please confirm that this change is acceptable. Thank you. -- Original Message ---- From: Jack Goldbe er To Cc: Jack Goldberger <j Sent: Sat Jun 28 08:49:55 2008 Subject: RE: Notice of Non-Compliance EFTA00014122

Page 2 - EFTA00014123

Dear Ms- • please allow this e-mail to confirm our telephone conference of 6:30 pm on June 27 wherein we discussed the Epstein plea agreement and we agreed that the Epstein state plea agreement was in compliance with the September 2007 non-prosecution agreement entered into between Mr. Epstein and the USA() for the Souhem District of Florida. Jack Goldberger From Sent: Fri 6/27/2008 5:45 PM To: Jack Goldbe er; Roy BLACK Cc: (USAFLS) Subject: Notice of Non-Compliance Dear Messrs. Goldberger and Black: Please see the attached Notification Letter. <<080627 Goldberger Black notification Itr.pdf>> Assistant U.S. Attorney 500 S. Australian Ave, Suite 400 West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Phone Fax 561 820-8777 EFTA00014123