Prosecutors Move To Seize Epstein’s $75 Million Townhouse

Federal prosecutors intend to seize Jeffrey Epstein’s $75 million townhouse just off Central Park because of the role it played in his allegedly sex trafficking children.

“As a result of committing the offense alleged in County Two of this Indictment, Jeffrey Epstein, the defendant, shall forfeit to the United States… any property, real and personal, that was used or intended to be used to commit or to facilitate the commission of the offense alleged in Count Two… and the following specific property: a. The lot or parcel of land, together with its buildings, appurtenances, improvements, fixtures, attachments and easements, located at 9 East 71st Street, New York,” the indictment unsealed Monday says.

The property was assessed at $75 million for the 2018-2019 tax year, with a $344,000 annual tax bill, according to New York real estate records. For 2020, the tax assessment value went down to $56 million. It has been described as one of the largest townhouses in Manhattan with as many as 50,000 square feet and, ironically, was a children’s school from the 1960s to the 1980s, Curbed reported in 2015.

The indictment alleges the billionaire hedge fund manager

possessed and controlled a multi-story private residence on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York, the New York Residence. Between at least in or about 2002 and in or about 2005, EPSTEIN abused numerous minor victims at the New York Residence by causing these victims to be recruited to engage in paid sex acts with him. When a victim arrived at the New York Residence, she typically would be escorted to a room with a massage table, where she would perform a massage on JEFFREY EPSTEIN, the defendant. The victims, who were as young as 14 years of age,
were told by or other individuals to partially or fully undress before beginning the ‘massage.’ During the encounter, EPSTEIN would escalate the nature and scope of physical contact
with his victim to include, among other things, sex acts such as groping and direct and indirect contact with the victim’s genitals. EPSTEIN typically would also masturbate during these sexualized encounters, ask victims to touch him while he masturbated, and touch victims’ genitals with his hands or with sex toys.

In connection with each sexual encounter, JEFFREY EPSTEIN, the defendant, or one of his employees or associates, paid the victim in cash. Victims typically were paid hundreds
of dollars in cash for each encounter. JEFFREY EPSTEIN, the defendant, knew that many of his New York victims were underage.

In 2008, Epstein secured a sweetheart deal that enabled him to escape federal prosecution on sex crimes committed in Florida, instead serving 13 months in state prison. Epstein has reportedly paid out more than $5 million in settlements to alleged abuse victims.

In 2011, New York state prosecutors made a “mistake” by arguing to classify him as a less severe sexual offender than a review of his conduct recommended.