The lead federal prosecutor who helped negotiate the so-called "sweetheart deal" for financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has submitted her resignation to the Justice Department.
A lawyer for A. Marie Villafana confirms the report and says it was in the works for a long time.
Her resignation comes amid an investigation into the role she and other prosecutors played in the deal that allowed Epstein to plead guilty to just one count of soliciting a minor for prostitution. The multi-millionaire wound up serving 13 months of jail time on work release back in 2008.
The Miami Herald reports that Villafana was against Epstein being allowed on work release, and wrote a letter to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office pointing out that the "crimes he committed were not accurately reflected in his work release paperwork and that those records contained 'omissions' that should have disqualified him for that program."
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has launched both criminal and internal investigations into Epstein's work release and the governor has directed the FDLE to take over the criminal portion of that probe.
Meanwhile, Epstein awaits trial on several new federal charges of sex trafficking underage girls in Palm Beach and New York.
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