File 029608

Images

Text

6 TheVirgin Islands Daily News VIRGIN ISLANDS
Friday, February 22, 2019
Judge: Prosecutors broke law in Epstein sex case
Viet Vit'aid"C"N pert at his sentencing and possibly off St. Thomas.
rejeet the deal. Upem learning that , Bt. Dlwards. the Fon Lamlerdale
stein had pleaded guilty without their attorney who brought the case, said
MIAMI —A judge ruled Th.., knowledge, rt. of his victims filed a he wm elated at the judge, ruling.
that tbderal prosecutors — among lawthk in the Southern District of FloN thit admitted he is bittm that the case
them, U.S. Labor Secretary Alm.. kb in .8, claiming that prosecutors took 11 years to litigate. blaming fed.
dm Acosta— broke rode. law rtheti violated the ern...Victims' RightsAm, mai promeutors for needlessly roag-
they signed a plea agreement with a which grants victims of fedeml climes ging out the case when they could
wealthy, politically connected . tr.,. a series of rights. including the ability have remedied their error when it um
ficker and concealed k from more.n to confer with pro.secutors about a pos. brought to their auention in 2008.
30 of his twlerage victims. sthle plea deal. ‘Vhile the victims ultimate, would
U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marta agreed, saying that while like to see Epstein go to jail the
evidence he reviewed showed that US-
Marrrt th a 33.page opinion, saki the pei,,rosensors had the rig.ht, to re:Ive the judge, nffing stopped short of issu.
frey Epsteth had been operating an in- latecil'rt‘travrgtIrling thietUgreentent the government and victims 15 days
cy to- ing a remedy or punishment. He gwe
ternational sex operation in which he from Ethtein, victims. Mann, den- to cont. with each other to come up
and others recruited underage girls — sion capped II years of litigation — with a resolution. It, unel. what
not only  aser. Jeffrey EpsteinF,cOr'VrCo'n1WE'in which included the relea.se of a trove of that resolution would be.
seas. in vthlation of federal law. entails showing how Acosta and other Edwards conceded that Epstein,
"Epstein us. paid employees to custody in West Palm Beech, Fla, M prosecutors worked with Epstein, h. sentence isn't likeN to be overturned.
fiml and bring minor girls to him," 2. thofile la,ms to cone. the drtil — He was released th 2004.
wrote Marra. who is based in Pan and the scope of Epstein, crimes — Btu victims' righn advocates say
Beach County. "Epstein worbd in lived in a Palm Beach mansioA was from both his victims and the public. that other charges can still be brought
concert with °them to obtain minors allowed to quietly pie. gni, in siate -Particularly problenthtic was the against ,stein if more victims come
not only for his own sex. gnuifica. court to mo prostitution charges and Government, decision to conceal the forward in other guisdictions. There
[ioes but also bathe sexual gmtifica- served just 13 months in the co, wirtence of the (agreement) and mis- has been no smite of linroations Ur
tion of others, jail. His accomplices, some of whom lead the victims to believe that leder- sex trafficking since 2002.
Instead of prosecuting Epstein have never been identified, were never al prosecution was still a possibilit,"The decision follows a these-part
under federal sex trafficking laws, charged. Marra wrote. series puNishod by the Mit.. Herald
Acosta. then the U.S. attorney in Mi. Acosta agreed to seal the deal. which The U.S. attorney, office in Miami in November."Perversion oflustice,
anti, helped negotiate a nonprosecu- meant that none of Epstein, victims, declined to comment. which detailed how federal prosecu-
tion agreement that give Epstein and who were mast, 13 to 16 years old at In addition to Pahrt Beach. Fla.. tors worked in concen with ,tein,
his co-conspimtors immoniN from the time of the abuse, were told Om Epstein also has a home in New York lawers to arrange the deal.
i.e. pmseeption thirtein, wlm it mil it wm km kw for tlwirt ke elp- eee, le,. ,e. link be Jeesee, Island Since then. the U.S. Department
of Justice has latuthhed a probe into
whether federal prosecutom commit-
ted any wrongdoing.
WSTX FM 150 PRESENTS
Gov. Bryan
heads to D.C.
Daily NasaaSSff
Gov. Alben Bryan Jr. de.
parted the territory for Wash-
ington, D.C. on Thursday for u
series of meetings with Tnunp
administrotion officials emd
members of Congress.
fit his absence, Lt. Gov. Tre-
genua Roach will be actthg
governor.
Included on Bthan's sched-
:Ifetihscaisnenior plenaa sessi:n
Insular AtraV.'Wnt?eYre h'e!uaPlonng
with governors from the other
U.S. territories, will outline
their federal priorities with the
leadcwhip of the liS. Depan-
mem of Interior.
On lliesday. Bryan will tes.
tify before the Senate Com-
mittee on Energy and Natural
Resources during a hearing
to examthe dm state of U.S.
territories.
He also will be participat-
ing in the National Governors
Association conference, thrt-
ing which dte governors will
have a !web meeting with Vice
President Mike Pence.
Bryan is scheduled to retum
to the territory on Wednesday.