The July 6 Arrest
FBI agents arrested Jeffrey Epstein at Teterboro Airport in Teaneck, New Jersey on July 6, 2019. He had just returned via private jet from Paris. The arrest was executed by SDNY agents on a sealed federal indictment.
The Indictment
The SDNY indictment charged Epstein with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of sex trafficking conspiracy. The charging document alleged a pattern of abuse of dozens of girls from approximately 2002 to 2005, based primarily in New York and Florida.
The Pre-Arrest Investigation
SDNY prosecutors and FBI agents had been developing the case for months before the arrest. The Herald investigation appears to have catalyzed a review of existing evidence and reopening of the federal inquiry.
The Bail Denial and Second Decision
Epstein’s attorneys sought bail, offering a record million personal recognizance bond secured against his properties. Judge Richard Berman denied bail twice, citing the extraordinary risk of flight and the severity of the charges.
The Rapid End
Epstein was arrested July 6. He died August 10. The entire period of his second federal detention lasted only 34 days from arrest to death during which enormous public attention focused on what evidence and witnesses the prosecution possessed.