What is document EFTA00021353?

This is an internal FBI/SDNY email chain from February 2021 showing investigators on the Ghislaine Maxwell prosecution attempting to obtain records from Victoria's Secret and FedEx, as well as pursuing UK travel records for Maxwell and Epstein.

What does this document reveal?

It reveals that key corporate records were unavailable to investigators due to retention limits. Victoria's Secret had recently switched systems and could only access ~2 years of records, while FedEx retained records for only 1-5 years. This likely prevented investigators from obtaining evidence from the 1990s-2000s when Epstein was most active.

Why was Victoria's Secret relevant to the investigation?

Les Wexner, the billionaire founder of Victoria's Secret parent company L Brands, had documented financial ties to Epstein and was identified in SDNY investigation documents as a potential co-conspirator. FBI testimony showed Epstein claimed to victims he was 'best friends with the owner of Victoria's Secret' to manipulate them, and victims reported receiving Victoria's Secret outfits at Epstein's island.

What happened to the Maxwell case?

Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in December 2021 after a federal jury trial in New York, where four women testified about abuse in the 1990s and early 2000s. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence.

What is document EFTA00021353?

This is an internal FBI/SDNY email chain from February 2021 showing investigators on the Ghislaine Maxwell prosecution attempting to obtain records from Victoria's Secret and FedEx, as well as pursuing UK travel records for Maxwell and Epstein.

What does this document reveal?

It reveals that key corporate records were unavailable to investigators due to retention limits. Victoria's Secret had recently switched systems and could only access ~2 years of records, while FedEx retained records for only 1-5 years. This likely prevented investigators from obtaining evidence from the 1990s-2000s when Epstein was most active.

Why was Victoria's Secret relevant to the investigation?

Les Wexner, the billionaire founder of Victoria's Secret parent company L Brands, had documented financial ties to Epstein and was identified in SDNY investigation documents as a potential co-conspirator. FBI testimony showed Epstein claimed to victims he was 'best friends with the owner of Victoria's Secret' to manipulate them, and victims reported receiving Victoria's Secret outfits at Epstein's island.

What happened to the Maxwell case?

Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking in December 2021 after a federal jury trial in New York, where four women testified about abuse in the 1990s and early 2000s. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence.

EFTA00021353 - EFTA00021354

An internal FBI/SDNY prosecution email chain from February 2021 documenting the investigative team's attempts to obtain records from Victoria's Secret and FedEx as part of the Ghislaine Maxwell criminal case.

This document is a February 2021 email exchange between Assistant U.S. Attorneys, FBI Special Agents, and NYPD detectives working on the Child Exploitation/Human Trafficking Task Force. The emails show investigators following up on subpoenas to Victoria's Secret and FedEx for records related to the Maxwell prosecution, as well as reviewing images and pursuing UK travel records for both Maxwell and Epstein. The investigation hit roadblocks: FedEx only retained records for 1-5 years depending on shipping method, and Victoria's Secret had recently switched systems and could only access approximately 2 years of records—both limitations that would have prevented access to evidence from Epstein's most active period in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Key Highlights

•FBI and NYPD investigators sought records from Victoria's Secret, whose owner Les Wexner had documented financial ties to Epstein
•Both companies had limited record retention: FedEx kept 1-5 years, Victoria's Secret only ~2 years after a system switch
•Investigators were also pursuing UK travel records and reviewing images for an unredacted individual
•This was part of the SDNY's prosecution that led to Maxwell's December 2021 sex trafficking conviction

Frequently Asked Questions

Books for Further Reading

Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

Julie K. Brown

Investigative journalism that broke the Epstein case open

Filthy Rich: The Jeffrey Epstein Story

James Patterson

Bestselling account of Epstein's crimes and network

The Spider: Inside the Tangled Web of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell

Document Information

Bates Range

EFTA00021353 - EFTA00021354

Pages

Document Content

Page 1 - EFTA00021353

From: ' (USANYS)" < To: " " ' (NY) (FBI)" Cc: ' ir )" C Subject: RE: Maxwell Follow Up Date: Wed, 24 Feb 2021 01:16:57 +0000 Thank you both for the updates on this. From: Sent: Tuesday, February 23, 2021 12:38 PM To: . (NY) (FBI) < >; (USANYS) Cc: >; ) < Subject: Re: Maxwell Follow Up Victoria Secret has recently switched their systems and only can access records dating back approximately 2 years. Detective NYPD / FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force Office: Cell: Fax: From: (NY) (FBI) < > Sent: Monday, February 22, 2021 5:36 PM To: O; (USANYS) < Cc: Subject: RE: Maxwell Follow Up At this point we haven't come across images of her. I'll keep you posted if we find otherwise. I'll circle back with you on the UK information. Special Agent- FBI New York Field Office Child Exploitation/Human Trafficking Desk: From: Sent: Monday, February 22, 2021 4:45 PM To: (USANYS) < Cc: (NY) (FBI) < Subject: [EXTERNAL EMAIL] - Re: Maxwell Follow Up EFTA00021353

Page 2 - EFTA00021354

Heys, Fedex only retains records for 1 to 5 years depending on which method they use (ground...freight etc.). We are still waiting on an answer from Victoria Secret. Will let you know as soon as I know. Detective NYPD / FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force Office: Cell: Fax: From: (USANYS) Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2021 11:34 AM To: (NY) (FBI) < >; Cc: ► Subject: Maxwell Follow Up Hi M , I hope you both are well. We wanted to follow up on a few additional items: • Contact Victoria Secret and FedEx regarding retention of documents/how far back they keep materials • Review of images for photos of • Follow up with ALAI regarding UK travel records for Maxwell and Epstein Happy to discuss if you have any questions. Thanks very much, Assistant United States Attorney United States Attorney's Office Southern District of New York One St. Andrew's Plaza New York, New York 10007 Tel: EFTA00021354