Following Jeffrey Epstein’s death and the dismissal of the criminal charges pending against him, commentators have suggested that federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York might file a civil forfeiture action against Epstein’s $77 million Manhattan townhouse to recover assets for eventual distribution to his alleged victims. Based on the publicly available evidence, however, a civil forfeiture action against the mansion would almost certainly be time-barred under the statute of limitations applicable in such cases, raising the prospect that the government has waited far too long to pursue such a remedy.

The Indictment and Criminal Forfeiture

The indictment, unsealed on July 8, 2019, charged Epstein with participating in a sex trafficking conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, U.S.C. §1591, “from at least in or about 2002, up to and including in or about 2005.” The indictment alleges that Epstein abused numerous minor victims at his mansion located at 9 East 71st St. during that time period by causing them to be recruited to engage in paid sex acts with him.