Jeffrey Epstein property at center of New Mexico court battle
Even after his death, the court battles against – or, in this case, affiliated with Jeffrey Epstein – are piling up.
New Mexico officials are hoping to put an end to two public grazing leases that were assigned to a company once controlled by Epstein, with the belief that the land was used in part to shield the multimillionaire’s desert ranch, State Land Office General Counsel Ari Biernoff said Monday.
The financier had allegedly sexually abused young women at the property in question, the Zorro Ranch, which extends into the central New Mexico land that was leased by Cypress Inc., officials said.
But the company has been subleasing the land to area ranchers for years, Cypress attorneys said, noting that they have been in compliance with the terms of the lease.
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Cypress is asking a state district court in Santa Fe to step in and preserve the leases.
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Jeffrey Epstein's property values (source: U.S. v. Jeffrey Epstein, 19-CR-490)
Epstein – who was reportedly worth more than $550 million – also owned properties in Manhattan, Paris and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The financier was indicted in early July on charges connected to the sex trafficking of minors. He had previously served a 13-month sentence years earlier after pleading guilty to state prostitution charges.
Epstein committed suicide by hanging inside a lower Manhattan jail cell in August, prompting a Southern District of New York judge to dismiss the criminal case against him weeks later.
In the wake of his sudden death, several victims have filed civil lawsuits against Epstein's estate.
Meanwhile, the investigation continues into Epstein’s crimes as they pertain to his co-conspirators continues.
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, has been named by at least one of Epstein's accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
New York Post front page, Feb. 21, 2011. (New York Post, FILE)
The Duke, who was photographed walking with Epstein in 2010 -- and was later blasted on the front page of the New York Post in February 2011 -- has hired a spin doctor in an alleged attempt to improve his reputation leading up to the release of a British documentary on the royal's relationship with the financier, The Daily Telegraph reported.
A source told the outlet: “The Duke’s office has got a huge volume of work to deliver but a great deal of time is being taken up dealing with Epstein related enquiries which is where Jason will come in."
The Associated Press contributed to this story.