By Micah Jonah
February 12, 2026
Newly released United States Justice Department documents show that Jeffrey Epstein sought assistance from a former Russian government official with links to Moscow’s FSB intelligence service to gather information on a woman he accused of attempting to blackmail his associates.
The documents, part of the latest batch of the so-called Epstein files, reveal that Epstein contacted Sergei Belyakov, a former deputy minister of economic development, in 2015 over what he described as an extortion attempt involving “powerful” businessmen in New York.
In a July 2015 email, Epstein wrote to Belyakov saying, “I need a favor,” referring to a Russian woman who had recently arrived at a hotel in New York. He described the situation as “bad for business for everyone involved” and requested advice.
Belyakov, a graduate of the FSB Academy, responded that he would gather information about the woman. Days later, he sent Epstein details about her background and business activities, stating that she appeared to have no influential backers and suggesting that denying her entry to the United States could pose a serious threat to her operations.
The documents also indicate that Belyakov sought to leverage Epstein’s connections to prominent American business figures. After meeting Epstein in 2014, Belyakov expressed interest in expanding his network and later requested introductions to venture capitalist Peter Thiel and businessman Thomas Pritzker.
Emails show Epstein facilitated contact, and Belyakov subsequently met with the businessmen, describing the discussions as “very helpful” and noting their knowledge of Russia’s economy.
The files further reveal that Epstein attempted to arrange high-level meetings involving Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, though there is no indication such meetings took place.
Epstein, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, had wide-ranging international connections that have continued to draw scrutiny.
The Justice Department has been releasing documents in phases under a transparency law passed by Congress, with the latest disclosures shedding more light on Epstein’s global network of contacts across politics, business and intelligence circles.
