Documents disclosed by the US Department of Justice as part of the 'Epstein Files' show that late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's aircraft company bought a helicopter from Irish property developer Bovale Developments and its principal Michael Bailey.
The transaction happened in 2012. Legal documents included in the three million documents released by the US Department of Justice include a sales agreement between Bovale Developments and associated companies in Gurnsey and Delaware, and the company’s founder Michael Bailey of Batterstown Co Meath.
A Bell 430 Helicopter was sold by Bovale for $1.58 million to Hyperion Air Inc, a Delaware registered company headed by Darren K Indyck. The following year it was sold to Hyperion Air LLC By Mr Indyck. Hyperion owned and operated a fleet of aircraft for the private use of Jeffrey Epstein.
The sales agreement describes the helicopter as having a "Flag blue exterior with Gold accent stripes. Cream leather upholstery in a 5 seat configuration with cabinet bar (Edwards & Associates interior)."
The handover of the aircraft was to have taken place at Blackbushe Airport, Camberly, Surrey, UK, with the money paid through an aircraft finance company in Oklahoma City, USA.
An email from the Federal Aviation Authority to the FBI (agent names redacted) on 14 February 2020 added details of the aircraft associated with Epstein. At the time the FBI was investigating links between Ghislaine Maxwell – who had a pilots licence and was known to fly helicopters – and the aircraft owned or associated with Jeffrey Epstein
The e-mail from the Federal Aviation Authority to the FBI had the following information on the former Bovale helicopter (which had been based in the UK at the time of its sale to Epstein):
"N331JE Helicopter Bell 430 Aircraft Serial Number: 49078 Date Current Registration issued: 19 November 2019 Current Registered Owner: Hyperion Air, LLC Current Registration Signed By: Aircraft Purchased from: Hyperion Air, Inc. Date of Purchase: 12 August 2013 Seller Signature: Darren K. Indyke Special Registration Number Placed on Aircraft: 25 June 2012 Requested Special Registration Number: N331JE EFTA00010704 Special Registration Number Issued on: 04 June 2012 Date Requested Special Registration Number: 22 May 2012 Aircraft Purchased from: Bovale Developments, Inc. Date of Purchase: 06 March 2012 Seller Signature: William P. Merriam Jr Aircraft Registration Number: N901RL"
Hyperion Air LLC became the subject of legal action by the Government of the virgin Island’s after Epstein’s death in 2019. The government sued Epstein’s estate, and associated companies.
In the filings it states that Jeffrey Epstein had to register as a sex offender in the US Virgin Islands in 2010, after release from his 2008 conviction in Florida for procuring a child for prostitution. As a "tier 1" sex offender, Epstein had to notify the US Virgin Islands government every time he entered or left the territory, where he was a resident. His Islands – Little St James and Great St James – were part of the US Virgin Islands territory. He and his guests travelled to the islands by airplane.
The executors of the Epstein estate were listed as Darren K Indyck and Richard D Kahn.
Bovale Developments exited NAMA last October, and is currently developing 530 apartments in north county Dublin.
Other documents show that Epstein was looking at buying distressed assets of Irish banks after the financial crisis and bailout of 2010, including a portfolio for buildings in the US owned by AIB Bank.
New pictures of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, details of 2010 conversations
Meanwhile, pictures which appear to show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor crouched over an unidentified woman are featured in the latest disclosure of files linked to Jeffrey Epstein.
The images are among more than three million documents published by the US Department of Justice on Friday relating to disgraced paedophile financier Epstein, including images of a man kneeling on the floor next to a woman lying down.
The undated pictures were released in a document of 100 pages of photographs, and also appear to show the former duke touching the woman's abdomen. Another unidentified person's feet are up on a table in the background.
They have no captions and it is not known where they were taken.
Elsewhere in the document dump, screenshots and scans appear to show the former prince exchanged emails with Jeffrey Epstein about a "beautiful" Russian woman and invited him to Buckingham Palace.
In an August 2010 exchange, two years after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution, for which he served 13 months in a jail work-release programme, the financier writes: "I have a friend who I think you might enjoy having dinner with."
In response, "The Duke" replies: "Of course. I am in Geneva until the morning of 22nd but would be delighted to see her. Will she be bringing a message from you? Please give her my contact details to get in touch.
"A."
In response to a redacted email, "The Duke" says: "Great. Any other information you might know about her that might be useful to know? Like what have you told her about me and have you given her my email as well?"
Epstein then writes: "She 26, russian, clevere beautiful, trustworthy and yes she has your email."
The email account labelled "The Duke" replies: "That was quick! How are you? Good to be free?"
Epstein says: "(redacted).. great to be free of many things."
The exchange ends with "The Duke" saying: "So many opportunities that I am frustratingly not allowed to participate in.
"And so many that are obvious but can't get anyone to fire on.
"Must come and see you sometime soon."
In another exchange in September 2010, Epstein said he was in London, and "The Duke" replied: "I am just departing Scotland should be down by 1800.
"I'll ring you when I get down if you can give me a number to ring.
"Alternatively we could have dinner at Buckingham Palace and lots of privacy.
"A."
Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, New York, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
Andrew has faced allegations, which he strenuously denies, that he sexually assaulted a teenage Virginia Giuffre after she was trafficked by Epstein.
He paid millions to Ms Giuffre, a woman he has claimed never to have met, to settle a civil sexual assault claim in 2022.
Andrew stepped down from royal duties in 2019 after an interview on BBC Newsnight, but the publication of Ms Giuffre's posthumous memoir, and the US government's release of documents from Epstein's estate, brought more scrutiny over his relationship with the financier.
It led to King Charles officially stripping his disgraced brother of both his HRH style and his prince title last year.
Following the release of the latest files, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should testify in the US Congress over what he knows about the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's crimes.
Asked on the final day of a visit this week to China and Japan whether King Charles III's brother should answer US lawmakers' questions about his knowledge of the American financier's wrongdoing, Mr Starmer replied "yes".
"I've always said anybody that [has] got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they are asked to do that," he told reporters.
"Because you can't be victims-centered if you are not prepared to do that," Mr Starmer added, noting Epstein's victims "have to be the first priority".
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Abuse survivors demand 'full release of files'
Survivors of Epstein said their alleged abusers "remain hidden and protected", adding fuel to the case that has dogged President Donald Trump.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the White House had played no role in the Justice Department's review of the extensive files on Epstein, a former friend of Trump.
"They did not tell this department how to do our review, what to look for, what to redact, what to not redact," Mr Blanche said.
More than three million documents were released on Friday that included mention of numerous powerful figures, including 79-year-old Trump, Elon Musk, Bill Gates and former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
The Justice Department said some of the documents contained "untrue and sensationalist claims" about Trump that were submitted to the FBI before the 2020 presidential election.
Mr Blanche, formerly Trump's personal lawyer, denied suggestions that embarrassing material about the president had been redacted from the newly released files, which included at least 180,000 images and 2,000 videos.
"We did not protect President Trump," he said.
Blanche said all images of girls and women had been redacted aside from those of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of trafficking underage girls for Epstein and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.
However, a statement from survivors of Epstein's alleged abuses claimed identifying information about them still remained in the files, "while the men who abused us remain hidden and protected."
The letter was signed by 19 people, some using aliases or initials, and demanded "the full release of the Epstein files" and that Attorney General Pam Bondi directly address the matter when she testifies before Congress next month.
