After multimillionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s dramatic death in a New York jail cell, both alleged victims and a curious public have turned their attention to the former financier’s only remaining close relative: his younger brother, Mark Epstein.
A former artist turned real estate magnate, Mark raised eyebrows last month by offering up his Florida condo as collateral for his brother’s bail. While he has denied any connection to Jeffrey’s businesses, at least one of Mark’s properties has turned up repeatedly in sex trafficking suits against his older sibling. And his unexplained wealth—he claims to have semi-retired at age 39 and has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to charity—may come under further scrutiny as the federal conspiracy investigation into his brother’s trafficking ring continues.
Lawyers for Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged victims said this week they will proceed with civil claims against the deceased financier’s estate, which would likely include any money inherited by his brother. And a cryptic statement from the Southern District of New York, where the latest sex trafficking charges against Epstein were filed, made some suspect prosecutors there would continue investigating Epstein’s associates as well.
“I would fully expert the U.S. Attorney’s Office to investigate all the underlying financial crimes that may have connected this enterprise,” Miriam Baer, a former prosecutor for SDNY, told The Daily Beast. “It would not surprise me if they scrutinize carefully everything involved with the finances of Mr. Epstein.”
Mark Epstein hung up on a reporter who called for comment and declined to respond to questions sent by text.
“Since the president of the USA won’t divulge his business info, and there are many more compelling reasons for him to do so, and since I have not been accused of wrongdoing by any government agency, I see no reason why I or any other American should either,” he wrote in a text message to The Daily Beast. – READ MORE