Local News: West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Martin & St. Lucie Counties I The Palm Beach Post

Local News: West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Martin & St. Lucie Counties I The Palm Beach Post 416/11 1:38 PM The 1Pairsi Beach Fold NEWS LEARN MORE LOCATE NEXT GENERATION PENNZOIL* CLEANS OUT UP TO 40% OF SLUDGE IN THEIST OIL CHANGE! lerreennerearreleisemehelll Bet Mt wPimmill! S Subserbe Now Renew C -POST I JOSS I AUTOS I REAL ESTATE I CLASSICS PLACE AN AO HOME I NEWS I WEATHER I SPORTS I MONEY I OBITUARIES I OPINION I LIVING I ENTERTAINMENT I PHOTOS I VIDEOS SERVICES BREAKING NEWS: Gov. Scott OKs last-minute bailout for courts, averting two-week furloughs Click to read story Local News Irk Greater Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast Palm Beach sex offender's secret plea deal: Possible co-conspirators not charged, presses victims to settle civil suits By SUSAN SPENCER-WENDEL Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Friday. September 18.2009 WEST PALM BEACH — Benire financier sex offender Jeffrey Epstern's secret non-prosecution agreement he struck with federal prosecutors was unsealed Friday. offering the first public look at the deal Epstein's high-powered legal counsel brokered on res behalf. According the agreement. the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney's Office investigated Epstein for various federal crimes. Including prostitution. some puNshable by a minimum of 10 years up to bfe in prison But federal prosecutors backed down and agreed to recall grand Jury subpoeanas. if Epstein pleaded guilty to prostitution-related felonies in state court. which he ultimately did. He received an 18-month Jail sentence. of which he served 13. A former federal prosecutor of 15 years. Mark Johnson of Stuart. said the disparity in the potential sentences was unusual. The United States Attorneys Office also a reed not to char e any of Epsten's possible co-conspirators Lesley Groff are The agreement was negotiated in pail by New York heavyweight crinnnal defense attorney Gerald Lefcoral. On its fret draft in September 2007. it required that Epstern pay an attorney - tapped by the U.S. Attorneys Office and approved by Epsten - to represent some of the victims n okra suits they had filed against Epstein. That attorney is prominent Miami lawyer Bob Josefsberg. Former prosecutor Johnson said he has never seen a provision like that before. But an addendum to the agreement signed the following month struck Epstein's duty to pay Joseteterg if he and the victims did not accept a settlement and instead pursued litigation. The agreement. signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney does not expressly state whether any victims were contacted or ccasulted before the deal was Attorney Brad Edwards of Fort Lauderdale. who represents three of the young women. weaves that none of the between 30 and 40 woman identified as victrns in the federal investigation were told of the deal. Edwards said his clients were still receiving letters in the mail months afterwards saying the U.S. Attorneys Office assuring them Epstein would be prosecuted. 'Never consulting the victims is probably the most outrageous aspect of IL.' Edwards said. 'It taught them that someone with money can buy his way out of anything. Its outrageous and embarrassing for United States Attorney's Office and the State Attorneys Office' Epstein now faces many cMI lawsuits filed by the wcinen, who are represented by a variety attorneys. In many. the facts alleged are the seine: that Epstein had a predilection for teenage girls. identified poor, vulnerable cries and lured them to his home via other young worsen. The teens describe ascending a staircase lined with nude photographs of young girls and to the spa roan xtere Epstein would appear in a small towel. Former Circuit Judge Bill Berger. who represents one of the vicbms. and The Paint Beach Post sought the unsealing of the agreement. Berger refers to it as a "sweetheart deal.' "Why was ri so important for the government to make this deal?' Berger asked rhelcocally. 'We have not yet had honest explanation by any public official as to why ri was made _ and why the victim's were sold down the river." Former federal prosecutor Ryon McCabe described the agreement as 'very unorthodox.' Such agreements, he said. are usually reserved for corporations, not individuals. MA LL CJ R 0 Site O Web Web Search by YAHOO! Obama Launches Mortgage Relief Plan If you owe less than S729,000 onyour mortgage, you probably qualify for the President's Making Home Affordable Program. %MO rates lower than they've ever been, there has never been a better time to refinance. If you are a homeowner and you haven't looked into refinancing recently, you may be surprised at how much you can save. Select Your Age: 133 calculate New House Payment Si COLUMNISTS AND SLOGGERS FRANK CERABINO Read Frank's latest columns aid follow him on Twitter. Read more HOT CELEBRITY NEWS Get the latest on South Malt celebrities. billionaires. Katt:ca. more. Parai1O3 GEORGE BENNETT Read Peet politics columnist George Bennetts latest articles. Read more MOST POPULAR HFan erss COMMENTS Fatal shooting in Delray Beach draws crowd of 100 °Spotters Lake Worth mayor says The Cottage complaints use 'gay card' against city manager West Palm Beach mayor. Freighter layoffs likely Narcy Novack charged In 2009 Fort Lauderdale killing of her mother-in-law Boynton Police warn of new Mist on ATM Identity fraud ia FOLLOW THE POST ON TWITTER txt SIGN UP FOR MOBILE TEXT ALERTS ill The Palm Beach Post on Facebook t ice 16.985 people lilac The Palm Beach Post. http://www.palmbeachpost.comipbcwesticontentilocal_news/epaper/2009/09/18/091Sepstem.html Page 1 of 3 EFTA01199194 Local News: West Palm Beach. Palm Beach County. Martin 8 St. Lucie Counties I The Palm Beach Post 4/6/11 1.38 PM 'Its very. very rare. I've never seen or heard of the procedure that was set up here.* said McCabe. who has no involvement in any Epstein litigation and is now a securities litigation attorney. 'He's essentialy avoiding federal prosecution because he can afford to pay that many lawyers to help those victims review their cases.... If a person has no money he couldn't be able to strike a deal like this and avoid federal prosecution.* The back-room deal with federal prosecutors all the more interesting in light of the legal heavyweights who have worked for Epstein. including Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz and Kenneth Starr of Clinton impeachment fame. Lefcourt is a past president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Epstein's local defense attorney. Jack Goldberger. issued a statement Enday saying he had fought the release of the sealed agreement to protect the third parties named there. 1*. Epstein has fully abided by all of its terms and conditions. He is looking forward to putting this difficult period in ohs life behind him. He is continuing his long standing history of science phlanthropy...- Epstein ended up avoiding federal charges. and pleaded guilty in state court to felony solicitation of prostitution and procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution. In July 2008. he was sentenced to 18 months in Jail. and later allowed out up to six days a week on work release. Epstein left the Jail in late July 2009 after serving not quite 13 months of the sentence, having earned gain time for good behavior. Palm Beach Police began vesbgating the - nternational moneyman of mystery.' as the New York magazine dubbed him, after they recewed a complaint from a relative 01 a 14-year-old girl who had given Epstein a naked massage at his home on the Intracoastal Waterway. Police sought and found in poor neighburhwds a variety of tall. tit. model-like young women, who told stones of begin recruiting. then going to Epsten's home and massaging and stimulating him. They walked away with between $200 and $1.000. The investigation triggered tensions between lice and prosecutors. with then-Chief saying in a May 2006 letter to then-State Attome that the chief troseonor shout i inne r. continue to find your office's treatment of these cases hogNy unusual, note. He then asked for and got the federal investigation that ended in the sealed deal. "The Jeffrey Epstein matter was en experience of what a many-million-dollar defense can accomplish." Mtold the Palm Beach Daily News upon ms retirement. Recent Activity Login You need to be logged into Facebook to see your friends' activity Cerabino: Florida House GOP's 'uterus' ban: A free-speech battle is born 1,618 people shared this. In Foreclosure crisis: Fed-up judges crack down disorder in the courts 207 people shared this. El racetrack social pasha POSTPIX it Latest news photos IMAGES OF WAR in Iraq and Afghanistan Massive earthquake and tsunami devastate Japan Jeri Muolo Sworn In as Severe weather In Central. Mayor South Florida Do Your Fool Hun? SELBY SHOES 561-969-9369 We'U Put Wow! Into Your Windows IN THE SHADE INC 772-223-1212 Free Hearing Test BELTONE 561-948-3049 Gourmet Meat in Delray MARIO'S MEATS 561499-7019 Do Your Feet Hurt? 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