What is document EFTA00023226?

This is an internal December 2019 email chain between federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York discussing Brady disclosure obligations in the Nicholas Tartaglione case as they relate to Jeffrey Epstein's July 23, 2019 suicide attempt at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Who was Nicholas Tartaglione and why is he mentioned?

Nicholas Tartaglione was a former Westchester County police officer who was Jeffrey Epstein's cellmate at MCC when Epstein's first suicide attempt occurred on July 23, 2019. Tartaglione, who was awaiting trial on charges of murdering four men, claimed he saved Epstein's life that night by alerting guards after finding Epstein unresponsive with fabric around his neck. He was later convicted and sentenced to four consecutive life sentences in 2024.

What does this document reveal about the Epstein investigation?

The document reveals that prosecutors were reviewing inmate witness statements from the night of Epstein's first suicide attempt to determine if any supported Tartaglione's claim of saving Epstein's life. This was considered potential 'penalty-phase Brady' material—exculpatory evidence that could help Tartaglione at sentencing by demonstrating he saved someone's life.

What is Brady material and why is it significant here?

Brady material refers to evidence that is favorable to a defendant that prosecutors are constitutionally required to disclose. In this case, if inmate witnesses confirmed Tartaglione helped save Epstein's life, it could be used as mitigating evidence at Tartaglione's sentencing for his quadruple murder conviction, potentially influencing whether he received the death penalty.

What happened during the July 23, 2019 incident referenced in this document?

At 1:27 a.m. on July 23, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was found semiconscious in his cell with injuries to his neck. Tartaglione told investigators he was sleeping when he felt something hit his legs, found Epstein slumped on the floor with fabric around his neck, and called for guards. An internal investigation cleared Tartaglione of wrongdoing, though Epstein initially claimed Tartaglione had been trying to extort money from him.

What is document EFTA00023226?

This is an internal December 2019 email chain between federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York discussing Brady disclosure obligations in the Nicholas Tartaglione case as they relate to Jeffrey Epstein's July 23, 2019 suicide attempt at the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Who was Nicholas Tartaglione and why is he mentioned?

Nicholas Tartaglione was a former Westchester County police officer who was Jeffrey Epstein's cellmate at MCC when Epstein's first suicide attempt occurred on July 23, 2019. Tartaglione, who was awaiting trial on charges of murdering four men, claimed he saved Epstein's life that night by alerting guards after finding Epstein unresponsive with fabric around his neck. He was later convicted and sentenced to four consecutive life sentences in 2024.

What does this document reveal about the Epstein investigation?

The document reveals that prosecutors were reviewing inmate witness statements from the night of Epstein's first suicide attempt to determine if any supported Tartaglione's claim of saving Epstein's life. This was considered potential 'penalty-phase Brady' material—exculpatory evidence that could help Tartaglione at sentencing by demonstrating he saved someone's life.

What is Brady material and why is it significant here?

Brady material refers to evidence that is favorable to a defendant that prosecutors are constitutionally required to disclose. In this case, if inmate witnesses confirmed Tartaglione helped save Epstein's life, it could be used as mitigating evidence at Tartaglione's sentencing for his quadruple murder conviction, potentially influencing whether he received the death penalty.

What happened during the July 23, 2019 incident referenced in this document?

At 1:27 a.m. on July 23, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was found semiconscious in his cell with injuries to his neck. Tartaglione told investigators he was sleeping when he felt something hit his legs, found Epstein slumped on the floor with fabric around his neck, and called for guards. An internal investigation cleared Tartaglione of wrongdoing, though Epstein initially claimed Tartaglione had been trying to extort money from him.

EFTA00023226 - EFTA00023227

Internal DOJ email chain from December 2019 showing prosecutors discussing Brady disclosure obligations regarding Jeffrey Epstein's July 23, 2019 suicide attempt, where his cellmate Nicholas Tartaglione claimed he saved Epstein's life.

This is an internal email exchange between federal prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. The Narcotics Unit Co-Chief is requesting witness statements from inmates in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) on the date of Epstein's first suicide attempt to determine if any corroborate Nicholas Tartaglione's account that he saved Epstein's life. The prosecutors acknowledge this could be 'penalty-phase Brady' material—evidence that must be disclosed to the defense because it could help Tartaglione at sentencing by showing he saved a life.

Key Highlights

•Prosecutors acknowledge potential Brady obligation to disclose evidence that could support Tartaglione's claim of saving Epstein's life
•References the July 23, 2019 incident when Epstein was found semiconscious with neck injuries
•Shows ongoing coordination between the Tartaglione prosecution team and investigators handling the Epstein matter
•Documents internal DOJ discussion about witness statements from SHU inmates that could corroborate Tartaglione's account
•Reveals the Tartaglione defense team was actively seeking evidence to support their client's claim of saving Epstein

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

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EFTA00023226 - EFTA00023227

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Document Content

Page 1 - EFTA00023226

From: To: Cc: ' (USANYS)" ;ANYS)" ` M>, > Subject: RE: Tartaglione / Epstein Date: Fri. 06 Dec 2019 17:08:23 +0000 (USANYS)" Nick and I need to compile the witness statements anyway in the next week or so, so we will do that and send you all of the inmate notes, and the relevant MCC employee notes (who talked about the July 23 attempt). From (USANYS) Sent: Friday, December 6, 2019 10:43 AM To (USANYS) >; (USANYS) Cc: > Subject: RE: Tartaglione / Epstein No deadline. I'm also happy to make this as easy as possible for you guys, if you want to give me access to the drive and point me to the interview folder. We obviously won't produce anything without running it by you, but don't want this to be any extra work for you guys. Co-Chief, Narcotics Unit From: (USANYS) Sent: Frida , December 6, 2019 10:32 AM To (USANYS) Cc: Subject: RE: Tartaglione / Epstein (USANYS) Just a bail application. We interviewed a lot of people so this isn't a particularly quick request. Do you have a deadline? From: USANYS) Sent: Friday, December 6, 2019 10:30 AM To (USANYS) > (USANYS) a> Cc: > Subject: RE: Tartaglione / Epstein Hey guys — just following up, though it sounds like you're busy with defendants fleeing... Co-Chief, Narcotics Unit From: (USANYS) Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2019 3:25 PM To: USANYS) ; (USANYS) > Cc: I Subject: Tartaglione / Epstein EFTA00023226

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Hey Guys — we continue to get requests from the Tartaglione defense team related to the Epstein investigation. In light of a recent request, can we please review your notes from inmates in the SHU on the date of the attempted suicide to determine if there are any inmates who gave statements that corroborate Tartaglione's account that he saved Epstein's life? We think this could arguably be penalty-phase Brady, so we'd like to review this in the first instance, and then discuss with you any disclosures we think need to be made. Co-Chief, Narcotics Unit United States Attorney's Office Southern District of New York One Saint Andrew's Plaza New York, New York 10007 EFTA00023227