New Mexico Sues Epstein's Lawyer and Accountant Over Zorro Ranch Abuse Cover-Up
State Attorney General Raúl Torrez accuses Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn of concealing Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operation at his New Mexico ranch and seeks to block them from accessing his estate.
New Mexico’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein’s former attorney and accountant, alleging they concealed the financier’s sex trafficking operation at his sprawling Zorro Ranch in the state. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, seeks to prevent attorney Darren Indyke and accountant Richard Kahn from receiving any funds from Epstein’s estate, which is estimated to be worth over $100 million.
Indyke served as Epstein’s attorney for approximately two decades. Both he and Kahn have previously testified to Congress, asserting they were unaware of Epstein’s abuse. However, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez contends that they stand to profit significantly from Epstein's estate unless a court intervenes.
"Those resources rightfully belong in the hands of survivors," Torrez stated, referring to Epstein's victims.
Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 in a New York federal jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His former associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a 20-year sentence after her 2021 conviction on sex trafficking charges. Testimony during Maxwell's trial indicated that she and Epstein had sexually abused women at the New Mexico ranch.
Epstein acquired the ranch, located in Stanley, New Mexico, in 1993. The property includes a 26,700-square-foot mansion, a large courtyard, an expansive living room, and a private airstrip and helipad. While Epstein was never charged in New Mexico, the state attorney general's office confirmed in 2019 that it was investigating and intended to forward its findings to federal authorities in New York.
At the time, then-Attorney General Hector Balderas noted that outdated state laws hindered the protection of children from abuse. Torrez reopened the state’s investigation this year. In August, he sued the Department of Justice, accusing it of obstructing the state’s probe into alleged sex crimes at the ranch. The lawsuit alleged that state prosecutors encountered significant resistance to information sharing typically seen between state and federal investigators. The Justice Department responded that it withheld certain information to avoid disclosing victim-identifying details.
