Dozens of firearms vanished from Jeffrey Epstein’s New Mexico ranch in 2018, but his staff refused to help police identify what was stolen. The convicted sex offender owned the weapons illegally after his 2008 felony conviction barred him from firearm possession.
The Mysterious Robbery
On August 26, 2018, thieves broke into a garage at Zorro Ranch near Stanley, New Mexico, stealing a massive gun safe containing handguns, rifles, and antique weapons. Police found tire tracks leading to a slashed fence and discovered two nearby cabins were also burglarized. Ranch staff initially documented serial numbers of 33 missing guns but never provided that information to investigators despite repeated requests.
Staff Stonewalled Authorities
Ranch manager Brice Gordon asked Epstein whether to forward the weapon list to New Mexico State Police. Epstein only referred him to his lawyer. When one rifle turned up in Gordon’s own residence, pilot Larry Visoski noted Gordon kept changing his story about the incident. Police Officer Byrd pressed staff for weeks to provide serial numbers so pawn shops could watch for the stolen firearms, but the staff stopped returning calls entirely.
Illegal Arsenal at Remote Property
Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea to felony solicitation of a minor for prostitution stripped his Second Amendment rights under federal law. Yet he maintained an extensive weapons collection at the isolated 7,500-acre ranch. In a 2010 email riddled with typos, Epstein acknowledged being a convict not allowed to possess firearms, asking his attorney if he could carry a gun on an African hunting trip.
Case Remains Cold
State police closed the investigation after one month, citing lack of cooperation from ranch personnel. The case can reopen if new information surfaces, according to police spokesperson Amanda Richards. New Mexico authorities have launched broader investigations into Epstein’s ranch activities following his 2019 jail death. Federal investigators never thoroughly searched the property during his lifetime, leaving questions about what else the remote compound may have concealed from law enforcement scrutiny.
Sources
Yahoo: Dozens of Epstein’s Zorro Ranch guns were stolen in 2018, but staff wouldn’t work with police
