Who prosecuted Epstein in 2019?
Jeffrey Epstein was prosecuted in 2019 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), then led by U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman.
Why the SDNY? The SDNY took the case because Epstein’s trafficking activities had occurred extensively in New York — his Manhattan townhouse at 9 East 71st Street was a primary location of abuse. Additionally, the SDFL (Southern District of Florida) had already granted Epstein immunity under the 2008 NPA, limiting what that district could charge him with.
The Indictment: On July 8, 2019 — the day before his arrest — a grand jury issued a two-count federal indictment:
- Sex trafficking of minors
- Conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking
The indictment alleged Epstein and co-conspirators abused dozens of underage girls between 2002 and 2005 in New York and Florida.
The Arrest: Epstein was arrested at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey on July 6, 2019, as he returned from Paris on his private jet. He was held without bail — a judge determining he was a flight risk due to his wealth and private aircraft. He died at MCC New York on August 10, 2019, before trial.
The Role of Julie K. Brown: The 2018 Miami Herald investigative series by reporter Julie K. Brown is widely credited with creating public and political pressure that prompted the SDNY to act. Brown’s reporting brought Epstein’s case back into national awareness after years of relative obscurity following the 2008 deal.