TERSON FILTHY RICH of Spanish families—including But if Ana had known that, would she have cared? She could -had invested with Drysdale. already see that Epstein was brilliant. And though she would indreds of millions of dollars. maintain that their friendship was strictly platonic, it was Ana e investors. who helped set Epstein on his course. Like other beautiful ey Epstein was help in recoverwomen he’d cultivate throughout his life, she opened doors to whole other kingdoms. ing stupid,” she told him. Ones that no boys from Brooklyn had even dreamed of. lyn accent. They blended well vely. us willing to help. e, with the money. The family il it? A scheme. He knew some of . And now the money is gone.” Andrew Levander was an assistant US attorney in the Southern District of New York’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. He was assigned to look into Drysdale’s collapse. The case he was building would result in fraud convictions for a number of Drysdale executives, and even today, Levander remembers Epstein bringing “a very attractive woman” to meet him when Epstein came to him in the course of the investigation. The woman was Ana Obregón. Levander told Ana that he was already working the case. A lawyer named Robert Gold, who was a former federal prosecutor himself, was assisting. And now Epstein would join them in the hunt for the monies. in recall that he was bad off after it was-from Bear Stearns. Mov- a while. Sleeping in his lawyer’s an apartment in the Solow Tower. After all, Epstein left Bear Stearns t Epstein’s lifestyle was expensive. en, and Ana was still in her twenctors Studio-the New York City on Brando, Robert De Niro, Jack ad all been members of. d formed a company, International ery impressive. In fact, IAG was was running out of his apartment. 102 In effect, DGS had built a series of labyrinths, rabbit holes, deadfalls. And even investors who’d lost vast sums to the company were less than forthcoming when it came to speaking to the US attorney. Several of the investors were foreign. Some had violated their own countries’ laws pertaining to foreign investments. This was where Epstein-with his calm, confident air of discretion-came in. Ana Obregón gave Epstein power of attorney over any monies 103 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009254¶
JAMES PATTERSON that he recovered. And though it took him three years, working with Robert Gold and the US attorney’s office, Epstein finally did make his way to the center of DGS’s maze and recover Obregón’s money. Most of it was being held in a bank in the Cayman Islands. Epstein’s agreement with Ana prevents us from knowing how much he recovered—and how much he kept. But given the amounts at stake, Epstein likely earned millions—or more— and to this day Ana Obregón has nothing but appreciation for what Epstein accomplished. “I know he’s had some problems,” she says. “I don’t want anything to do with that.” As for Epstein, he came out of the deal with a new modus operandi: from now on, he’d only work with the super rich. Eva Andersson: M iss Swede zling whi the stage winner of this, the Seoul, South Korea “And now that see which five girls Barker pauses, tightens. There are even if they’re not ( “On this card received the highes interview, the swin Eva feels the ca standing in betwee 104 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_009255¶