New Mexico Attorney General Sues Epstein Associates Over Zorro Ranch Sex Trafficking Cover-Up

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez announced Wednesday he is suing Jeffrey Epstein's former personal lawyer, Darren Indyke, and accountant, Richard Kahn, accusing them of concealing sex trafficking operations at Epstein's Zorro Ranch.

The lawsuit, filed by the New Mexico Department of Justice, claims that Indyke and Kahn were aware of and facilitated alleged abuse at the 10,000-acre Zorro Ranch near Santa Fe. The department alleges that both men used their positions and Epstein's wealth to conceal these activities. Indyke and Kahn managed finances and authorized transactions related to the alleged trafficking, despite testifying otherwise before Congress.

Torrez further alleged that Indyke and Kahn enriched themselves through their involvement with Epstein's estate. Between 2011 and 2019, Indyke allegedly pocketed $16 million and Kahn received over $10 million from Epstein. The lawsuit seeks to prevent Indyke and Kahn from receiving further payments from Epstein's estate, stating that these funds should go to survivors.

Zorro Ranch, described as isolated in high desert 30 miles south of Santa Fe, was equipped with its own airstrip. The state of New Mexico has been noted for its reputation of privacy for wealthy residents and had lax criminal laws regarding sex trafficking, which it did not recognize as a crime until 2008. Unlike other states where Epstein owned property, New Mexico did not require him to register as a sex offender due to its lower age of consent, 16.

The lawsuit also names the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, estimated at over $100 million, and the 1953 Trust, which holds assets for the estate.

In April, reports surfaced detailing alleged abuse at the Zorro Ranch property. An anonymous individual, claiming to be a former staff member, sent an email to a local talk show host in 2019 after Epstein's arrest, alleging the burial of two young girls on the estate. The sender claimed they were strangled on Epstein's orders after 'rough, fetish sex.'

Epstein was never charged in New Mexico. However, the state attorney general's office investigated his operations in 2019. Former Attorney General Hector Balderas had previously stated that the state's outdated laws were insufficient to protect children from abuse.