Detective Joseph Recarey of the Palm Beach Police Department was the lead investigator in the criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein that began in 2005, when police were alerted by a woman who reported that her stepdaughter had been abused by a wealthy man named Jeff[6, 13]. His investigation expanded as further victims came forward, eventually documenting approximately forty alleged victims and providing the evidential foundation on which the federal case was built[13].
Recarey's investigation identified the pattern of Epstein's conduct: the use of financial inducements to recruit teenage girls for what were presented as massage appointments, the escalation of those encounters into sexual abuse, and the network of associates who facilitated the recruitment[6, 8]. He interviewed victims directly, including Haley Robson, to whom he put questions about the specific nature of Epstein's conduct during their encounters[8].
Recarey also observed the grand jury proceedings in which state prosecutor Lanna Leigh Belohlavek presented the case. His assessment of that presentation was sharply critical. He stated that Belohlavek had not interviewed any victims before presenting, that there appeared to be no preparation for trial, and that she asked what he characterised as soft questions. He stated that she gave him the impression she was not giving the grand jury the entire picture of what had transpired, and that she appeared to be trying to downplay Epstein's crimes[6 (p. 135)].
His investigation also documented attempts by Epstein to interfere with the case. A private investigator employed by Epstein was identified as having surveilled and photographed the family of at least one victim, and Recarey recorded in police reports that a victim's father had called him to report that a man had been at their home photographing the family and following visitors[6 (p. 139)].
Recarey noted that following a separate robbery in which Epstein was a victim, Epstein made a $36,000 donation to the Palm Beach Police Department for a forensic video analysis system, with discussions of a further donation for a firearms training simulator[6 (p. 123, 124)]. Michael Reiter, the Palm Beach police chief from 2001 through 2009, separately confirmed that Epstein had donated $100,000 to the department[8].