Speaker 1: What's up, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the
Speaker 1: Epstein Chronicles. In this episode, we're going to spin back
Speaker 1: down to New Mexico and pick up where we left
Speaker 1: off with the interim report on Jeffrey Epstein's behavior and
Speaker 1: criminal activity in the State of New Mexico. Epstein in
Speaker 1: New Mexico, Zoro Ranch and beyond. Jeffrey Epstein maintained his
Speaker 1: residence in Santa Fe, New Mexico, off and on, beginning
Speaker 1: in the early nineteen nineties. At this point, little is
Speaker 1: known about Epstein's activity in Santa Fe prior to his
Speaker 1: acquisition of Zoro Ranch. Epstein acquired and developed Zorro Ranch
Speaker 1: as a vacation retreat approximately five years before he acquired
Speaker 1: his property in the US Virgin Islands and ninth East
Speaker 1: seventy first Street in New York City in nineteen ninety eight.
Speaker 1: On March first, nineteen ninety three, Jeffrey Epstein acquired the
Speaker 1: property that he would name the Zoro Ranch from sitting
Speaker 1: New Mexico Governor Bruce King and his brothers and Sam King,
Speaker 1: then Representative Ron The King acted as a realtor on
Speaker 1: behalf of the King family. Epstein acquired the property through
Speaker 1: the Zoro Trust identity, of which Epstein was trustee. Some
Speaker 1: years later, on December sixteenth, twenty eleven, the Zoro Trust
Speaker 1: transferred the ranch property to Cyprus Incorporated, a Virgin Islands
Speaker 1: corporation of which Epstein was president. The Zoro Ranch remained
Speaker 1: Epstein's New Mexico residence up until the time of his
Speaker 1: death on August tenth, twenty nineteen. Flight records and whenness
Speaker 1: testimony indicate that Epstein spent approximately two to five weeks
Speaker 1: annually at Zoro Ranch from approximately nineteen ninety four to
Speaker 1: twenty nineteen. John Kelly acted as an attorney in fact for
Speaker 1: Jeffrey Epstein on March fifteenth, nineteen ninety three, by executing
Speaker 1: the lan Lea's component of the accuisition from the New
Speaker 1: Mexico State Land Office. Kelly served as US Attorney for
Speaker 1: the District of New Mexico between ninety three and two
Speaker 1: thousand and one. In twenty twenty six, Kelly released a
Speaker 1: statement stating, in nineteen ninety three, I was asked by
Speaker 1: the King family, with whom I was well acquainted, if
Speaker 1: I would assist with the real estate transaction between an
Speaker 1: out of state buyer and the King Family with respect
Speaker 1: to one of the King Family properties. That out of
Speaker 1: state buyer turned out to be Jeffrey Epstein. Kelly admitted
Speaker 1: to meeting mister Epstein in connection with the transaction, stating,
Speaker 1: I assisted with the transaction as an attorney at the
Speaker 1: King Family's request. I do not specifically recall any direct
Speaker 1: interaction with mister Epstein in connection with the transaction, and
Speaker 1: I do not recall ever encountering him again. After that time,
Speaker 1: Kelly's name was listed in Epstein's Black Book of Contacts.
Speaker 1: Kelly stated that he had absolutely no knowledge of Epstein's
Speaker 1: criminal conduct until it was reported in the press. In
Speaker 1: response to a request for information, the USAO and M
Speaker 1: stated that it could not comment on the internal process
Speaker 1: or deliberation that occur within our office. Records obtained by
Speaker 1: the NMSLO shed no light on Kelly's role in the
Speaker 1: real estate transaction beyond what Kelly later reported to the press.
Speaker 1: Zoro Ranch Acreage and Leases. Zoro Ranch is comprised of
Speaker 1: the following real property interests, which include land owned through
Speaker 1: a special warranty deed, as well as state and federal
Speaker 1: grazing and agricultural leases. Eighty four point eighty six acres,
Speaker 1: Section thirty six T thirteen n R ninety Waterline right
Speaker 1: of Way R DASH three zero one three seven one thousand,
Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty eight DOT ninety seven acres, Section sixteen,
Speaker 1: parts of Section two T one two nine R nine E.
Speaker 1: Grazing Lease GR twenty one, twenty two. Land Appraisals dated
Speaker 1: May twenty second, twenty twelve, ADP THREEZH three ADP three four.
Speaker 1: Assignment for federal land parcels acreage unconfirmed at this time.
Speaker 1: The state and federal leases are subject to use and
Speaker 1: other conditions administered by the nm SLO and the Federal
Speaker 1: Bureau of Land Management. As discussed below, Epstein did not
Speaker 1: always comply with these conditions, nor were they always enforced
Speaker 1: by nm SLO and BLM. By letter dated November tenth,
Speaker 1: nineteen ninety three, NMSLO advised Epstein that he had not
Speaker 1: paid his lease fee for the October first, nineteen ninety
Speaker 1: three due date, and that consequently a light fee had
Speaker 1: been assessed. On July twentieth, nineteen ninety four, Glen Maxwell
Speaker 1: signed a sworn appraisement of grazing and agricultural lands, a
Speaker 1: testing that she had inspected the property was disinterested party,
Speaker 1: and that the cash value per acre of the land
Speaker 1: was three hundred dollars if sold and four hundred per
Speaker 1: acre for lease purposes. It's not clear at this time
Speaker 1: whether atsis Stein acquired the title to the seven thousand,
Speaker 1: six hundred and twenty one dot seven four acres in
Speaker 1: one transaction, or whether he added acreage to the ranch
Speaker 1: over the years. Epstein's improvement to Zoro Ranch, what would
Speaker 1: become the twenty eight thousand, six hundred and thirty six
Speaker 1: square foot main residence, did not exist upon Epstein's purchase
Speaker 1: of Zoro Ranch. Before this mansion was constructed, Epstein used
Speaker 1: temporary structure, which witnesses described as almost like a log
Speaker 1: cabin or a mobile home that was made to be
Speaker 1: very nice. Over time, a variety of structures were constructed,
Speaker 1: totally approximately fifty thousand square feet. These structures included staff cabins, guesthouses, stables,
Speaker 1: and other function based outbuildings. As one witness described it,
Speaker 1: there were all sorts of different homes, like little cabins
Speaker 1: or guesthouses where different staff would live. Witnesses have stated
Speaker 1: that when visiting the ranch, they entered through the back
Speaker 1: of the house through a mudroom adjacent to the kitchen,
Speaker 1: and were not permitted in other areas. Generally, they were
Speaker 1: not allowed in the rest of the house, although one
Speaker 1: witness was allowed into a library off the kitchen and
Speaker 1: occasionally in Glenn Maxwell's bedroom. Epstein closely directed the many
Speaker 1: improvements to the property, including construction of the main residence.
Speaker 1: The main residence was constructed by Bradbury and Stam Construction.
Speaker 1: According to the Santa Fe County Assessor, the Zoro Ranch
Speaker 1: is comprised of seven thousand, six hundred and twenty one
Speaker 1: dot seven four acres. Improvements include a three story, twenty
Speaker 1: eight thousand, six hundred and thirty six square foot main
Speaker 1: residence constructed in nineteen ninety nine, A four hundred thirty
Speaker 1: four square foot guesthouse constructed in nineteen ninety nine, A
Speaker 1: one thousand, eight hundred ninety five square foot guesthouse constructed
Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty two, A two thousand, seven hundred and
Speaker 1: fifty four square foot guesthouse constructed in nineteen ninety four,
Speaker 1: an eighteen hundred and ninety six square foot guest house
Speaker 1: constructed in ninety four, A two thousand, one hundred and
Speaker 1: sixty four square foot guest house constructed in ninety nine,
Speaker 1: a six hundred square foot guest house constructed in ninety eight,
Speaker 1: a one thousand, thirty two square foot guest house constructed
Speaker 1: in ninety four, and a one thousand, six hundred thirty
Speaker 1: six square foot guest house constructed in nineteen ninety four.
Speaker 1: At one point, a helipad was constructed as part of
Speaker 1: a labyrinth garden. Epstein also had a private aerostrip and
Speaker 1: hangar built. Epstein was also accused of relocating native petroglyphs
Speaker 1: on his property from one location to the next. Zoro
Speaker 1: Ranch required continued upkeep and underwent frequent improvements from ninety
Speaker 1: four to twenty nineteen. Ranch personnel maintained regular documentation detailing
Speaker 1: maintenance requirements and taskings. Maintenance, repair, renovation, and other improvements
Speaker 1: had occurred on an ongoing basis over the years that
Speaker 1: Epstein owned the property. Mission has not conducted a complete
Speaker 1: accounting of maintenance. The financial records relevant to the acquisition, construction, maintenance,
Speaker 1: and operation of Zoro Ranch are scattered and incomplete. The
Speaker 1: full scope of spending at Zoro Ranch total construction costs,
Speaker 1: staff payroll over the last twenty five years, property tax
Speaker 1: history is not available from the EFTA documents alone. Which
Speaker 1: is apparent from the EFTA documents, however, is that Epstein
Speaker 1: was not a passive owner of the property, but demonstrated
Speaker 1: in active and purposeful interest in everything that occurred there.
Speaker 1: The property comprising Zoro Ranch was purchased in twenty twenty
Speaker 1: three by Donald Puffin's and his family, who will report
Speaker 1: that they had no prior connection to Epstein and state
Speaker 1: they did not visit the property before he and his wife,
Speaker 1: through a limited liability corporation, purchased it. The ranch was
Speaker 1: renamed San Rafael Ranch, and the Huffien family announced plans
Speaker 1: to transform the property into a Christian retreat. Renovations of
Speaker 1: the ranch buildings have been completed and are underway. The
Speaker 1: estate was sold at a public auction. The Haffeen family,
Speaker 1: through their legal council, indicated that they'll cooperate with the
Speaker 1: Commission's investigation, and contact with Hauffeen's family representatives is anticipated
Speaker 1: in the short term to conduct a physical in person
Speaker 1: inspection of the property. Zoro Ranch communication infrastructure. The Zoro
Speaker 1: Ranch communication infrastructure and internet access were partly sourced through
Speaker 1: Greg Wiler, founder of three B networks in one Web,
Speaker 1: Bloomberg reported that Epstein served as an advisor behind the
Speaker 1: funding of one Web. Emails showed that Epstein contacted Wyler
Speaker 1: for assistance in sourcing Motorola radio equipment for the ranch,
Speaker 1: and also consulted with Weiler on installing a similar system
Speaker 1: on Little Saint James. Although more sophisticated and costly than
Speaker 1: ordinary Internet systems, the evidence shows that it was difficult
Speaker 1: to obtain reliable broadband for some to large remote property.
Speaker 1: Two active FCC microwave licenses reportedly linked to Zoro Ranch
Speaker 1: to Sando Crest Tower, a telecommunication structure on Sandia Crest.
Speaker 1: Documentation provided under the EFTA shows how the system was
Speaker 1: designed and built. The ranch's original dedicated data service was
Speaker 1: the Time Warner T one line, a type of dedicated
Speaker 1: digital communication line capable of transmitting one point five four
Speaker 1: to four mbps of data. By twenty ten, the ranch
Speaker 1: was served by a Sprint T one at eight hundred
Speaker 1: ninety four forty six per month, against a quoted three
Speaker 1: hundred and ninety three dollars per month for the Time
Speaker 1: Warner line. In May of twenty thirteen, Jermaine Ruan an
Speaker 1: Epstein employee who also managed technology on Little Saint James
Speaker 1: wrote to Epstein, with the help of Greg Weiler, Motorola
Speaker 1: point to point radio solutions would be the best fit
Speaker 1: for Zoro Ranch. Starting in twenty thirteen, Richard Bolts of
Speaker 1: Advanced Communications and Electronics, a local Albuquerque company, designed and
Speaker 1: installed the satellite relay system. The architecture ran from Sandio
Speaker 1: Crest over an Ethernet packet radio to Epstein's main residence
Speaker 1: on Zoro Ranch. In twenty fourteen, however, Epstein complained that
Speaker 1: the satellite does not work for my primary purpose. It
Speaker 1: was supposed to be a backup to the improved, more
Speaker 1: reliable delivery and distribution system at a significant cost. Epstein
Speaker 1: subsequently demanded a return to the T one service. In
Speaker 1: April of twenty sixteen, emails between Epstein and Zoro Ranch
Speaker 1: personnel discuss a fiber microwave internet connection from Sandio Crest
Speaker 1: to the ranch. Century Link engineers confirmed fiber was eight
Speaker 1: feet from the conduit running seventy feet to CDZ's tower
Speaker 1: location on Sandio Crest. Epstein received emails comparing the advantage
Speaker 1: and disadvantages of license and unlicensed microwave systems from a
Speaker 1: company called future Tech, which proposed a design and install
Speaker 1: the system. Zora Ranch manager Bryce Gordon, and Hector coordinated
Speaker 1: a project. A search of the FCC's online Universal Licensing
Speaker 1: System shows licenses were granted in July twelfth of twenty sixteen.
Speaker 1: All Right, folks, we're going to wrap up right here,
Speaker 1: and in the next episode dealing with the topic, we're
Speaker 1: going to pick up where we left off. All the
Speaker 1: information that goes with this episode can be found in
Speaker 1: the description box.