In a stunning breakthrough from thousands of Epstein’s private emails, fresh investigative reporting has unearthed a long-buried federal probe: as prosecutors chased his sex-trafficking crimes in 2007, they quietly launched a parallel money laundering investigation that targeted untold millions flowing through his shadowy empire.

Bloomberg News, drawing from a trove of approximately 18,000 emails obtained from Jeffrey Epstein’s personal Yahoo account, revealed that federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida—led by then-Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Villafaña—opened the financial crimes inquiry in February 2007. This occurred amid the broader sex-trafficking investigation that ultimately led to Epstein’s controversial 2008 plea deal.

According to the emails and supporting documents, Villafaña requested grand jury subpoenas for “every financial transaction conducted by Epstein and his six businesses” dating back to 2003. A former law enforcement official familiar with the case described the probe as lasting about 18 months and uncovering at least tens of millions of dollars in questionable transactions.

Investigators examined patterns including large cash withdrawals by Epstein’s employees, allegedly disbursed to women linked to his suspected victimization network, which raised potential charges for operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.

The money-laundering effort also extended to outreach efforts, including contact with Epstein’s longtime client, billionaire Les Wexner, in August 2007. Epstein’s high-powered legal team aggressively fought the probe, exchanging heated correspondence and attempting to block subpoenas, the emails show.

The financial investigation ultimately did not result in charges, overshadowed by the sex-crimes plea agreement that allowed Epstein to serve just 13 months with work release.

The newly disclosed details add a significant layer to understanding the scope of federal scrutiny into Epstein’s operations nearly two decades ago, raising questions about missed opportunities to disrupt his activities through asset tracing and forfeiture.

Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges in New York. The Bloomberg reporting, published in late 2025, stems from extensive vetting of the private emails and corroboration with sources, shedding new light on one of the most scrutinized figures in modern criminal history.