Question
What exactly happened when Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in 2019?
Answer
Jeffrey Epstein was arrested on July 6, 2019, at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey when federal agents were waiting as his private jet landed after a transatlantic flight from Paris.
Sequence of events:
July 6, 2019, approximately 6:00 PM ET: Epstein’s Gulfstream jet landed at Teterboro Airport from Paris. FBI and Department of Homeland Security agents met the aircraft and placed Epstein under arrest. He was transported to MCC (Metropolitan Correctional Center) in lower Manhattan.
The sealed indictment: SDNY prosecutors had obtained a sealed two-count federal indictment charging Epstein with:
- Sex trafficking of minors (18 U.S.C. § 1591)
- Conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors (18 U.S.C. § 1591)
The indictment was unsealed the following morning — July 8, 2019.
Why Teterboro and why then: It is not publicly known precisely when SDNY sealed the indictment or when agents were dispatched to Teterboro. Reports indicated prosecutors had been investigating Epstein since at least 2018 following the November 2018 Miami Herald series by Julie K. Brown. The Paris trip presented a window for arrest before he could leave for a jurisdiction without extradition, though France does extradite to the United States under treaty.
The bail hearing: On July 15, 2019, SDNY prosecutors argued Epstein was a flight risk and danger to the community, citing his aviation assets, foreign bank accounts, and foreign passport with a fake address. Judge Richard Berman denied bail on July 18, 2019.
MCC detention: Following bail denial, Epstein remained at MCC New York until his death on August 10, 2019.
Sources
SDNY indictment (July 8, 2019); bail hearing transcript (July 15 and 18, 2019); media reports; DOJ press conference July 8, 2019.