The passport the authorities obtained from the financier’s safe appeared to be issued by Austria and expired 32 years ago, according to Epstein's defence document.
It was issued in the 1980s and is believed to serve for the “personal protection” of Epstein during his travel to the Middle East.
The reason for such extraordinary safety measures, according to the memo, is that Epstein is “an affluent member of the Jewish faith,” thus he could be exposed to kidnapping, hijacking, or terrorist attacks, while traveling to “dangerous areas.”
#BREAKING: #Epstein defense just filed a supplemental bail package in which they detail that the Passport authorities have found is actually Austrian but the interesting thing is the WHY..allegedly for “personal protection” from “potential kidnappers, hijackers or terrorists”. pic.twitter.com/N6wjZIu2lB
— Marta Dhanis (@MartaDhanis) July 16, 2019
Meanwhile, prosecutors filed additional information regarding what was found in the accused child sex trafficker’s safe.
According to the prosecutor’s document, Epstein was in possession of “more than $70,000 in cash…, 48 loose diamond stones…,as well as a large diamond ring,” as well as the aforementioned the passport.
The prosecution concluded that having “ready cash and loose diamonds” is “consistent with the capability to leave the jurisdiction at a moment’s notice,” thus it was ruled that “the defendant be detained pending trial.”
#JeffreyEpstein #JUSTin: As to prosecutors, they have also just filed additional information detailing what they found in Epstein’s safe: +$70k in cash, 48 loose diamond stones, ranging in size from approximately 1 carat to 2.38 carats, and a large diamond ring (+ the passport!) pic.twitter.com/r956Mylpge
— Marta Dhanis (@MartaDhanis) July 16, 2019
Jeffrey Epstein, a former friend of Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, was arrested on 6 July and charged with sex trafficking minors by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York. He pleaded not guilty to “sexually exploiting and abusing dozens of minor girls” at his lavish residences in Manhattan and Palm Beach between 2002-2005.
Epstein is being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a fortress-like jail, according to Reuters. Meanwhile, US District Judge Richard Berman reportedly said he would announce his bail decision on Thursday, stressing that he needed more time to absorb the case.
Epstein reportedly faces up to 45 years in US prison if convicted.
