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Case 22-1426, Document 78, 06/29/2023, 3536039, Page6 of 217
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Case 1:20-cr-00330-AJN Document 204-3 Filed 04/16/21 Page 260 of 348

When asked why the USAO did not simply notify the victims of the change of plea hearing, Sloman responded that he “was more focused on the restitution provisions. I didn’t get the sense that the victims were overly interested in showing up . . . at the change of plea.”

Also, in late June, Villafaña drafted a victim notification letter concerning the June 30, 2008 plea.360 Villafaña told OPR that, because “Mr. Acosta had agreed in December 2007 that we would not provide written notice of the state change of plea, the written victim notifications were prepared to be sent immediately following Epstein’s guilty plea.”361 As she did with prior draft victim notification letters, Villafaña provided the draft to the defense for comments.362

Although Epstein’s plea hearing was set for June 30, 2008, Villafaña took steps to facilitate the filing of federal charges on July 1, 2008, in the event he did not plead guilty in state court.

OPR reviewed voluminous Epstein-related files that the State Attorney’s Office made available online, but OPR was unable to locate any document establishing that before the hearing date, the state informed victims of the June 30, 2008 plea. On March 12, 2008, the State Attorney’s Office issued trial subpoenas to three victims and one non-law enforcement witness commanding the individuals to “remain on call” during the week of July 8, 2008. However, the Palm Beach County Sheriff was unable to serve one of the victims in person because the victim was “away [at] college.”

XI. JUNE 30, 2008: EPSTEIN ENTERS HIS GUILTY PLEAS IN A STATE COURT HEARING AT WHICH NO VICTIMS ARE PRESENT

On June 30, 2008, Epstein appeared in state court in West Palm Beach, with his attorney Jack Goldberger, and pled guilty to an information charging him with procuring a person under 18 for prostitution, as well as the indictment charging him with felony solicitation of prostitution. The information charged that between August 1, 2004, and October 9, 2005, Epstein “did knowingly and unlawfully procure for prostitution, or caused to be prostituted, [REDACTED], a person under the age of 18 years,” and referred to no other victims. The indictment did not identify any victims and alleged only that Epstein engaged in the charged conduct on three occasions between August 1, 2004, and October 31, 2005. Although the charges did not indicate whether they applied to multiple victims, during the hearing, Assistant State Attorney Belohlavek informed the court that “[t]here’s several” victims. When the court asked Belohlavek whether “the victims in both these cases [were] in agreement with the terms of this plea,” Belohlavek replied, “I have spoken to several myself and I have spoken to counsel, through counsel as to the other victim, and I believe,

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360 Sloman forwarded the draft victim notification letter to Acosta, who responded with his own edited version stating, “What do you think?” Villafaña edited it further.

361 The letter began with the statement, “On June 30, 2008, Jeffrey Epstein . . . entered a plea of guilty.” A week after Epstein’s state guilty plea, Villafaña notified Acosta, Sloman, and other supervisors that “[Epstein’s local attorney] Jack Goldberger is back in town today, so I am hoping that we will finalize the last piece of our agreement— the victim list and Notification. If I face resistance on that front, I will let you know.”

362 According to Villafaña, either Acosta or Sloman made the decision to send the notifications following the state plea and to share the draft notification letters with the defense.

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