Federal prosecutors continue to reveal more and more information about what was locked away in a safe at accused child sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s Upper East Side mansion. Prosecutors said they were “made aware” on Monday that Epstein’s safe contained cash, diamonds and an expired passport.
The government mentioned this while making its case that Epstein should not be let out of jail ahead of trial, arguing that he is about as big of a flight risk as there is.
Although the passport was issued in the ’80s and is currently expired, other details about it raised some eyebrows. For one, the passport has a photo that appears to be of Epstein, but it has a different name on it. Secondly, it was a foreign-issued passport and listed his residence as Saudi Arabia.
SDNY says they learned today that Epstein had in a locked safe a foreign passport issued in the 1980s, expired, with a photo that appears to be Epstein and a name that is not his. It also gives his place of residence as Saudi Arabia.
— erica orden (@eorden) July 15, 2019
Epstein was also said to have “piles of cash” in that safe.
NEW: As part of the raid at Epstein’s NYC mansion authorities found in a locked safe “piles of cash, dozens of diamonds” and a foreign passport, issued in the 1980s. It is expired, lists his residence Saudi Arabia, and has a photo that appears to be him. https://t.co/InC6iiaqS3
— Pervaiz Shallwani (@Pervaizistan) July 15, 2019
It’s not clear if this was the same safe (or if there are other safes) that authorities said contained thousands of lewd images of young girls. The images were found during a raid that occurred as Epstein was arrested at Teterboro Airport on July 6. Authorities said they found “at least hundreds–and perhaps thousands–of sexually suggestive photographs of fully-or partially nude females.” Prosecutors said some of the images appeared to be of underage girls. “[A]t least one girl, who according to her counsel, was underage at the time the relevant photographs were taken,” they said.
Prosecutors have admitted that they have no idea how Epstein made his fortune, but said Friday that an unnamed financial institution’s records showed Epstein is worth more than $500 million. They argued that if Epstein is let out ahead of trial he would be in the wind posthaste.
“[T]here would be little to stop the defendant from fleeing, transferring his unknown assets abroad, and then continuing to do whatever it is he does to earn his vast wealth from a computer terminal beyond the reach of extradition,” prosecutors said.
It’s been speculated that the detail about the passport means Epstein is more likely to remain detained.
Epstein had a passport with his place of residence listed as Saudi Arabia. Makes it more likely he’ll be detained as a flight risk. https://t.co/SejucilRIf
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) July 15, 2019
Judge Richard Berman will announce his Epstein bail ruling at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday.
[Image via Stephanie Keith/Getty Images]
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