Epstein arrested on federal sex trafficking charges
FBI agents arrest Jeffrey Epstein at Teterboro Airport as he returns from Paris on his private jet. A search of his Manhattan mansion reveals a trove of evidence including a safe with CDs, diamonds, and an expired Austrian passport with a Saudi address.
The Arrest
On Saturday, July 6, 2019, FBI agents from the New York field office arrested Jeffrey Epstein at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey as he arrived on his private jet from Paris. The arrest was executed on a sealed indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Epstein was taken into federal custody more than a decade after the controversial 2008 plea deal in Florida that had allowed him to avoid federal charges the first time.
The timing of the arrest — on a weekend, at a private aviation terminal — was deliberate. Prosecutors considered Epstein an extreme flight risk given his wealth, multiple residences, and access to private aircraft. He was transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan to await proceedings.
The Charges
The two-count indictment charged Epstein with sex trafficking of minors, carrying a maximum sentence of 45 years, and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, carrying a maximum of 5 years. The alleged crimes took place between 2002 and 2005 at his residences in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida.
The case was prosecuted by the Public Corruption Unit of the SDNY under U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman. Assistant U.S. Attorneys on the case included Alex Rossmiller and Alison Moe. AUSA Maurene Comey, daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, was initially involved but later recused herself.
The Mansion Search
Following the arrest, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse at 9 East 71st Street, one of the largest private residences in the city. The search yielded a substantial cache of evidence.
Inside a locked safe, agents found compact discs labeled with handwritten names, including notations that referenced specific individuals. The safe also contained loose diamonds and large amounts of cash. Among the most unusual discoveries was an expired Austrian passport issued in the 1980s bearing Epstein’s photograph but a different name, with a residential address listed in Saudi Arabia. The passport had entry stamps from several countries.
Throughout the mansion, agents recovered hundreds of photographs of nude and partially nude young women and girls. The volume and nature of the material provided prosecutors with additional evidence to support the trafficking charges and suggested a pattern of conduct that extended well beyond what had been documented in the original Florida case.
Bail Denied
Epstein’s defense team mounted an aggressive bid for bail, offering a package valued at over $100 million. The proposal included his Manhattan mansion, estimated at $77 million, his private jet, and electronic monitoring. Epstein offered to surrender his passports and remain confined to the townhouse.
On July 18, 2019, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman denied the request. Judge Berman found that no combination of conditions could reasonably ensure the safety of the community or guarantee Epstein’s appearance at trial. The judge cited the severity of the charges, the strength of the evidence, Epstein’s vast financial resources, and the discovery of the foreign passport as indicators of flight risk. Epstein remained in custody at MCC Manhattan, where he would be held until his death the following month.