THE PALM BEACH POST • TUESDAY, JUNE 23. 2009
THE PALM BEACH POST • TUESDAY, JUNE 23. 2009
Judge asked to name receiver
to keep eye on Epstein's assets
By SUSAN SPENCER-WEN0EL
Palm Beach Pint SteWriter
WEST PALM BEACH
7-- An attorney represent-
ing one of the passel of
young women now suing
billionaire Jeffrey Epstein
is asking a federal judge
to appoint a receiver to
take over Epstein's prop-
erty to prevent him from
hiding or transferring as-
sets abroad.
Bradley Edwards also
has asked that the re-
ceiver order Epstein to
post a $15 million bond
to ensure money is avail-
able if the women prevail
in their lawsuits seeking
damages because of the
sexual contact they say
Epstein had with them as
minors.
In a request entered
into the court record
Friday, Edwards wrote
that Epstein. a man 'of
"phenomenal wealth,"
now faces more than two
dozen lawsuits. The wom-
an Edwards represents is
seeking more than $50
million in damages.
"Accordingly, Epstein
has currently pending
against him lawsuits seek-
ing more than $1 billion in
damages. He thus faces
financial ruin," Edwards
wrote to US. District Judge Ken-
neth Marra.
Edwards
cited no di-
rect evidence
that Epstein
is transfer-
ring assets
abroad. He
argued that
because
Epstein is a
sophisticated money man-
ager and is allowed out of
the Palm Beach County
Stockade each day to
work at his office, he has
the skill, the means and
motive to be transferring
assets abroad.
Epstein is serving an
18-month sentence after
pleading guilty nearly a
year ago to state charges
of felony solicitation of
prostitution and procuring
teenagers for prostitution.
Epstein is allowed out
of the stockade, though,
each day from 7 am. to
11 p.m., a spokeswoman
for the sheriff's office said
recently.
The saga began years
ago when Palm Beach po-
lice investigated reports
that young women were
being brought to Epstein's
manse on El Brillo Way to
massage him and have
sex with him in exchange Epstein
Faces more
than two
dozen suits. for money.
Attorneys represent-
ing the women have
questioned Epstein about
his sexual activities with
their clients as well as
his finances. Epstein has
responded by invoking his
right to remain silent and
not incriminate himself.
"The silence in the
face of these questions
speaks far louder than
words," Edwards wrote.
"As Justice (Louis) Bran-
deis recognized long ago
'Silence is often evidence
of the most persuasive
character.' This is plainly
one of those situations."
An attorney who rep-
resented Epstein during
the questioning Robert
U Critton Jr. of West Palm
Beach. did not respond to
an e-mail seeking com-
ment.
On Thursday, Circuit
judge Jeffrey Colbath will
consider whether to un-
seal a deferred-prosecu-
tion agreement Epstein
entered with federal pros-
ecutors. Attorneys have
said that they seek to
unseal that document in
part to use it in striking at
Epstein's right to remain
silent
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