Who is mentioned in this document?

The document mentions Jeffrey Epstein, the defendant charged with sex trafficking, and U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman of the Southern District of New York, who authored the memo. It references coordination between USAO-SDNY, FBI-NY, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What does this document reveal?

The document reveals that federal investigators had developed evidence suggesting Epstein committed additional sex trafficking crimes on his private island and believed the property contained photographic evidence. It shows active investigative efforts were underway just days before Epstein's death, including plans for a major search operation scheduled for August 12, 2019.

Did the FBI search Jeffrey Epstein's island?

According to this memo, the FBI planned to search Little Saint James on August 12, 2019. However, Epstein died in custody on August 10, 2019, two days before the scheduled search. The FBI did eventually execute the search warrant on August 12 as planned, despite Epstein's death.

Who is mentioned in this document?

The document mentions Jeffrey Epstein, the defendant charged with sex trafficking, and U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman of the Southern District of New York, who authored the memo. It references coordination between USAO-SDNY, FBI-NY, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What does this document reveal?

The document reveals that federal investigators had developed evidence suggesting Epstein committed additional sex trafficking crimes on his private island and believed the property contained photographic evidence. It shows active investigative efforts were underway just days before Epstein's death, including plans for a major search operation scheduled for August 12, 2019.

Did the FBI search Jeffrey Epstein's island?

According to this memo, the FBI planned to search Little Saint James on August 12, 2019. However, Epstein died in custody on August 10, 2019, two days before the scheduled search. The FBI did eventually execute the search warrant on August 12 as planned, despite Epstein's death.

EFTA00021196

Internal DOJ memorandum from August 8, 2019, announcing plans to execute a search warrant on Jeffrey Epstein's private island, Little Saint James, in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This is an internal communication from U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman of the Southern District of New York to senior DOJ officials, dated three days before Epstein's death in custody. The memo outlines plans to search Epstein's island residence on August 12, 2019, based on evidence that additional sex trafficking crimes may have occurred there and that the property likely contains photographic evidence of the charged conduct. The search was being coordinated between USAO-SDNY, FBI-NY, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Key Highlights

•Search warrant planned for Little Saint James island, scheduled for execution on August 12, 2019
•Investigators had developed information that Epstein may have committed additional sex trafficking crimes on the island
•Evidence from Epstein's New York residence suggested the island may contain sexual photographs related to charged conduct
•Memo sent just two days before Epstein's death on August 10, 2019, which occurred before the planned search

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

EFTA00021196

Pages

Document Content

Page 1 - EFTA00021196

From• To: Cc: Subject: Epstein UMR Date: Thu, 08 Aug 2019 17:24:03 +0000 — Please see below. TO: THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL FROM: UNITED STATES ATTORNEY SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK PHONE: 212-637-2200 DISTRICT POC: Geoffrey S. Berman U.S. Attorney Phone: SYNOPSIS: The USAO-SDNY, in conjunction with FBI-NY, plans to obtain a search warrant for "Little Saint James," U.S. Virgin Islands, the private island residence owned by defendant Jeffrey Epstein (the "Island Residence"). We plan to seek the warrant this Friday, August 9 and the FBI plans to execute the warrant on Monday, August 12, 2019. DESCRIPTION: Epstein was charged by Indictment in July 2019 with one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of a minor. The charges stem from Epstein's sexual abuse of minor girls in Palm Beach, Florida, and New York, New York, from at least in or about 2002, through up to and including in or about 2005. Since obtaining the Indictment, we have developed information that Epstein may have committed additional crimes of a similar nature on the Island Residence. We also believe, based in part on evidence recovered during a prior search of Epstein's New York residence, that the Island Residence may contain evidence, including sexual photographs, of the conduct already charged. Working with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the U.S. Virgin Islands, we intend to submit an application for a search warrant for the Island Residence on or about August 9, 2019. FBI-NY, in conjunction with local authorities, intends to execute the warrant on or about August 12, 2019. EFTA00021196