Discovery
During the July 2019 search of Jeffrey Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse following his arrest, federal agents discovered an Austrian passport containing his photograph. The passport bore a different name and listed a Saudi Arabian address. It was found in a safe in the property.
Details of the Document
The passport was expired. It appeared to date from the 1980s. The use of an Austrian passport was notable: Austria has historically been associated with discreet arrangements for wealthy individuals and foreign nationals.
How It Was Used in Court
Federal prosecutors presented the passport during the bail hearing before Judge Richard Berman. They argued it demonstrated that Epstein had the documents and resources to flee to a foreign country and assume a different identity supporting their argument that he was a serious flight risk.
Flight Risk Argument
The bail hearing resulted in Judge Berman denying bail. The fake passport was one of several elements in the government’s flight risk argument, along with Epstein’s private aircraft and the range of his international contacts and properties.
Unanswered Questions
The existence of the passport raised questions about who had provided it, when, and for what purpose. These questions were never fully answered before Epstein’s death.