What was the fake passport found in Epstein’s home?

When FBI agents executed a search warrant at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse at 9 East 71st Street in July 2019, they discovered among other items a foreign passport that listed Epstein under a different name with a false address.

The Discovery: The passport was an Austrian passport (from the 1980s or early 1990s, based on its apparent age) that listed Epstein’s photograph but with a different name and typically listed an address in Saudi Arabia. It was found in a safe along with large amounts of cash (approximately $70,000–$100,000 in bills), dozens of loose diamonds, and small gold bar-shaped objects.

Why It Mattered Legally: At the bail hearing, prosecutors cited the fake passport as evidence of Epstein’s willingness to use false identities to facilitate travel, which directly supported their argument that he was an extreme flight risk who should not be released pretrial.

Context: The passport appeared to be from a period when wealthy individuals sometimes used alternative identity documents to travel discreetly to certain countries. The use of “Saudi Arabia” as an address on the document suggested it may have been used for travel to Middle Eastern countries where a consistent identity or Israeli/U.S. stamps might have been problematic.

Other Items Found: The search also reportedly yielded — according to prosecutors and court filings — numerous photographs in the home, some of which were described as potential evidence of relationships with women. These items contributed to the argument that Epstein remained a continuing danger.

Legal Outcome: The discovery of the passport contributed substantially to Judge Pitman’s decision to detain Epstein without bail, ruling on July 18, 2019, and Judge Berman’s subsequent upholding of that decision.