Overview
Michael Reiter served as Chief of the Palm Beach Police Department when the department received the complaint in 2005 that initiated the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. Unlike other law enforcement officials who later backed away from the case, Reiter pursued the investigation comprehensively, built a strong evidentiary record, and — when it became clear to him that local prosecution was being blocked through political pressure — personally referred the case to the FBI, setting in motion the federal investigation that eventually led to Epstein’s 2008 conviction and, ultimately, the 2019 prosecution.
The Initial Complaint
In 2005, the mother of a 14-year-old girl filed a complaint with the Palm Beach Police Department reporting that her daughter had been inappropriately touched during a visit to Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion. Detective Joseph Recarey was assigned the case.
Reiter oversaw and supported Recarey’s investigation as it expanded dramatically over the following months. By the time the Palm Beach investigation concluded, Recarey had identified more than 30 potential victims across Palm Beach County and beyond.
Recognition of Political Pressure
Reiter became convinced that political factors within Palm Beach County — Epstein’s wealth, his attorneys’ connections, and relationships between Epstein’s circle and prosecutors and politicians — were creating obstacles to adequate prosecution. When State Attorney Barry Krischer’s office took the case and began signaling that charges would be minimal, Reiter took the unusual step of directly criticizing Krischer’s office and contacted the FBI to request federal involvement.
Reiter’s decision to go to the FBI was consequential. It moved the case out of a county where Epstein had cultivated relationships with local officials and into federal jurisdiction, where — at least initially — the investigation proceeded more vigorously.
Congressional Testimony and Public Record
Michael Reiter’s account of the investigation became part of the public record through congressional hearings and journalism. He has spoken publicly about his frustration with both local and ultimately federal handling of the case.
His testimony confirmed that the Palm Beach Police Department had built a solid case that should have supported serious prosecution, and that the diminution of charges reflected factors beyond the evidence.
Legacy
Reiter is regarded by victim advocates and journalists as one of the few law enforcement officials whose behavior in the Epstein case was genuinely victim-centered. His referral to the FBI was arguably the single most consequential decision made by any official in the case’s early history — without it, it is possible the case would have ended with minimal local charges and Epstein would have faced no federal scrutiny at all.
Sources
Palm Beach Police case files; Julie K. Brown, Perversion of Justice (2021); Senate Judiciary Committee hearings; Reiter’s public statements; congressional testimony; reporting on Palm Beach investigation.