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<\/a>Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has opened a criminal investigation into how his deputies handled wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein’s work release. (Mark Randall \/ Sun Sentinel)<\/p><\/div>\n
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has opened a criminal investigation into how his deputies handled wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein\u2019s work release about a decade ago, an agency spokeswoman said Thursday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The sheriff launched an internal investigation on Friday and then broadened it to a criminal probe on Tuesday, spokeswoman Teri Barbera said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
She offered no additional details, other than sharing a statement that Bradshaw wants to \u201chold those accountable for any failures and ensure that it won\u2019t happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Bradshaw, who was sheriff when Epstein was at the jail, has been under mounting pressure to agree to an outside, independent investigation of how the agency handled the matter. The four-term sheriff was first elected in 2004, and he has indicated he will run for re-election next year.<\/p>\n
State Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation, sent a letter Monday to Gov. Ron DeSantis asking him to order a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation into Epstein\u2019s work-release agreement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
DeSantis told reporters Thursday he is reviewing the letter. Bradshaw\u2019s stance has been that an internal probe is sufficient.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
In response to the sheriff\u2019s criminal investigation, Book\u2019s office released a statement reiterating her desire for an outside investigation. “We know mistakes occurred. Just as then-Governor Rick Scott called for an independent look at law enforcement failings post-Parkland, we need one here,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Epstein spent 13 months in the county stockade during 2008-09 as part of a once-secret plea deal that ended a federal sex abuse investigation involving at least 40 teenage girls. The arrangement was widely criticized as being too lenient, and Epstein now faces new federal charges in New York.<\/p>\n
About 3\u00bd months into his sentence, Epstein was allowed to spend up to 12 hours a day, six days a week working out of a downtown West Palm Beach office.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Lawyer Bradley Edwards, who is representing more than a dozen Epstein accusers, said last week Epstein was able to continue to have \u201cimproper sexual contact\u201d with women while in the work-release program. He said he was not aware of any of the visitors being minors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Epstein\u2019s lawyers have not responded to a message seeking comment about the allegations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Public records released by the Palm Beach County Sheriff\u2019s Office raise red flags about the level of supervision Epstein received<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Although he was supposed to work only in his office, Epstein, 66, visited his home at least nine times during his work release, according to deputy logs. During one visit, a deputy stood outside his home for more than two hours while Epstein was inside unsupervised.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n