New Mexico sues Epstein's lawyer and accountant over sex trafficking cover-up at Zorro Ranch
New Mexico's attorney general has sued two of Jeffrey Epstein's closest associates, accusing them of concealing sex trafficking at his Santa Fe-area ranch.
New Mexico targets Epstein's lawyer and accountant in landmark cover-up lawsuit
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Jeffrey Epstein's long-time attorney Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn, accusing both men of concealing a sex trafficking operation at Epstein's sprawling Zorro Ranch near Santa Fe, pbs.org reports.
The lawsuit seeks to bar Indyke and Kahn from receiving any payments from Epstein's estate, which is estimated at more than $100 million. Torrez argues those funds should instead go to survivors of Epstein's abuse.
"None of this could be done by just one man," Torrez said. "This was something that was facilitated, that was made possible by handlers, by lawyers, by accountants, by others who have yet to face real consequences."
Indyke had worked as Epstein's attorney for roughly two decades. Both he and Kahn have testified before Congress that they were unaware of any abuse. Attorneys for Indyke and Kahn did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. The U.S. Justice Department also did not immediately respond to questions about any federal investigation of the two men in New Mexico.
Torrez said the pair "stand to benefit substantially" from Epstein's estate unless a court intervenes. "Those resources rightfully belong in the hands of survivors," he added.
Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 in a federal jail in New York City, where he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His former girlfriend and close associate Ghislaine Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence following her 2021 conviction on sex trafficking charges in New York. Witness testimony at Maxwell's trial alleged that she and Epstein had sexually abused women at the New Mexico ranch.
Epstein purchased the Zorro Ranch in Stanley — a sparsely populated ranching community approximately 30 miles south of Santa Fe — in 1993. He subsequently developed the property into a 26,700-square-foot mansion with a sprawling courtyard, a living room roughly the size of an average American home, a private airstrip, and a helipad.
Despite the allegations, Epstein never faced criminal charges in New Mexico. The state attorney general's office confirmed in 2019 that it had been investigating and intended to pass its findings to federal authorities in New York. Hector Balderas, who served as attorney general at the time, acknowledged that New Mexico's outdated laws had failed to adequately protect children from abuse.
Torrez reopened the state's investigation this year. In August, he sued the U.S. Justice Department, accusing it of blocking the state's probe into alleged sex crimes at the ranch. The federal government maintained that it was withholding certain information to avoid disclosing victim-identifying details.
Also in August, a commission established by state lawmakers to examine whether local authorities had turned a blind eye released a 119-page report. The report concluded that authorities had repeatedly deferred to investigations being conducted in New York, Palm Beach, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, while Epstein's alleged offences in New Mexico went unexamined and unpunished.
The Zorro Ranch was sold in 2023 by Epstein's estate to the family of Don Huffines, a Republican who serves as Texas state comptroller. The proceeds were set aside for creditors. Probate proceedings related to Epstein's will and assets continue to be handled in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)