Who is mentioned in this document?

The document mentions Jeffrey Epstein, whose safe was being searched, and Marius Fortelni, the name on the fake Austrian passport. Investigators identified a real Marius Fortelni as an Austrian-born real estate developer living in Southampton, NY who had previously resided in Saudi Arabia—matching details on the passport.

What does this document reveal?

The document reveals the extent of Epstein's hidden assets and his possession of a fraudulent identity document. The 48 diamonds with appraisals, large amounts of cash in multiple currencies, and a fake Austrian passport with a Saudi Arabia residence suggested both significant hidden wealth and preparation for potential international flight. This evidence was critical in the court's decision to deny Epstein bail.

Why did Epstein have a fake Austrian passport?

Epstein's attorneys claimed the passport was given to him 'by a friend' in the 1980s for personal protection while traveling in the Middle East, explaining that some Jewish-Americans were advised to carry identification with non-Jewish names in case of hijacking. They emphasized it expired in 1987 and was never used. However, prosecutors and the judge viewed it as evidence of flight risk.

Who is Marius Fortelni?

Marius Fortelni is a real person—an Austrian-born real estate developer who was living in Southampton, NY at the time of the investigation. According to his website, he had previously resided in Saudi Arabia, matching the residence listed on the fraudulent passport. Investigators planned to contact him to ask why a passport from his native country with his name would have Jeffrey Epstein's photograph.

Who is mentioned in this document?

The document mentions Jeffrey Epstein, whose safe was being searched, and Marius Fortelni, the name on the fake Austrian passport. Investigators identified a real Marius Fortelni as an Austrian-born real estate developer living in Southampton, NY who had previously resided in Saudi Arabia—matching details on the passport.

What does this document reveal?

The document reveals the extent of Epstein's hidden assets and his possession of a fraudulent identity document. The 48 diamonds with appraisals, large amounts of cash in multiple currencies, and a fake Austrian passport with a Saudi Arabia residence suggested both significant hidden wealth and preparation for potential international flight. This evidence was critical in the court's decision to deny Epstein bail.

Why did Epstein have a fake Austrian passport?

Epstein's attorneys claimed the passport was given to him 'by a friend' in the 1980s for personal protection while traveling in the Middle East, explaining that some Jewish-Americans were advised to carry identification with non-Jewish names in case of hijacking. They emphasized it expired in 1987 and was never used. However, prosecutors and the judge viewed it as evidence of flight risk.

Who is Marius Fortelni?

Marius Fortelni is a real person—an Austrian-born real estate developer who was living in Southampton, NY at the time of the investigation. According to his website, he had previously resided in Saudi Arabia, matching the residence listed on the fraudulent passport. Investigators planned to contact him to ask why a passport from his native country with his name would have Jeffrey Epstein's photograph.

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FBI internal emails from July 2019 documenting evidence found in Jeffrey Epstein's safe during the search of his Manhattan home, including 48 diamonds, over $72,000 in cash, and a fake Austrian passport bearing Epstein's photo but issued under the name 'Marius Fortelni.'

This document contains a chain of internal FBI/NYPD Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force emails from July 15-16, 2019, detailing the contents of Epstein's safe discovered during the execution of a search warrant. The emails describe 48 diamonds with corresponding appraisal sheets, $72,083 in cash, $100 in American Express traveler's checks, foreign currency, and crucially, an Austrian passport with Epstein's photograph but issued to 'Marius Robert Fortelni' with a listed residence in Saudi Arabia. Investigators noted that a real Marius Fortelni exists—an Austrian-born real estate developer who lived in Southampton, NY and had resided in Saudi Arabia—and were planning to contact him to determine why his name appeared on a passport with Epstein's photo.

Key Highlights

•48 diamonds found in Epstein's safe with individual appraisal sheets
•$72,083 in cash plus foreign currency and traveler's checks discovered
•Austrian passport contained Epstein's photo but was issued under the name 'Marius Robert Fortelni' with a Saudi Arabia residence
•A real Marius Fortelni was identified as an Austrian real estate developer living in Southampton, NY who had previously resided in Saudi Arabia
•This evidence contributed to the judge's decision to deny Epstein bail as a flight risk

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

Relentless Pursuit: My Fight for the Victims of Jeffrey Epstein

Bradley J. Edwards

Victims' attorney's firsthand account

Document Information

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From: Subject: Re: Austrian passport thing Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2019 02:53:51 +0000 Attachments: JE 48 diamond_reports.pdf 48 diamonds were found inside of the safe. Correlating with each diamond was an appraisal sheet. See attached reports. NYPD / FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force From: Sent: Monday, July 15, 2019 10:42:43 PM Subject: Re: Austrian passport thing Photo of a diamond ring inside of case with no appraisal value. Photo of the foreign currency found. In addition to the foreign currency shown in this photo we counted another $32 EURO. $72,083 cash was found and $100 AMEX traveler check was found. NYPD / FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force Cell: 929-213-1123 Fax: 212-384-8289 From: Sent: Monday, July 15, 2019 10:35:00 PM To: Subject: Re: Austrian passport thing More photos of the Austrian passport...The last 2 photos are taken of Epstein's expired US passport also found in the safe from around the same time period of the Austrian passport with a photo of Epstein for comparison. NYPD / FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force EFTA00021576

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From Sent: Monday, July 15, 2019 10:32:02 PM Subject: Re: Austrian passport thing I will give him a call tomorrow. Additionally see attached photos of the Austrian passport. NYPD / FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force NM' From: Sent: Monday, July 15, 2019 7:14:39 PM To: Subject: RE: Austrian passport thing So there does appear to be a Marius Fortelni, originally from Austria, currently living in Southampton, NY — see: http://forteproperties.us/about us.htm http://www.mariusfortelni.com/ Notably—given the "residence" entry on the passport—according to Mr. Fortelni's website he resided for a time in Saudi Arabia. If it's possible, could we determine Marius Fortelni's birthday, and see if it matches up with the date on the passport? And then try to contact him and ask if he has any reason to know why a passport from his native country with his name on it would have Jeffrey Epstein's photograph on it and be in a safe in Epstein's mansion?? Given the time pressure I think it's totally fine to call him if you want, but completely defer to y'all. Thank you!! Assistant U.S. Attorney Southern District of New York EFTA00021577