Emails released in newly published United States Department of Justice files reveal that Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender, was offered the chance in 2016 to buy into a large building complex tied to the Department of Defense. The 84,710-square-metre site, located about one mile from the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, was described as a mission-critical property capable of meeting the Defense Department’s infrastructure needs. The proposed $116 million deal would have made Epstein a co-owner and landlord to the U.S. government, though there is no evidence the transaction occurred.

The documents also show Epstein’s extensive ties to Israel, including a decade-long relationship with former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and financial support for Israeli organizations such as Friends of the Israeli Army and the Jewish National Fund. An FBI informant memo described Epstein as a “Mossad agent.”

The Pentagon-linked offer was forwarded by businessman David Stern, who also proposed a separate 2015 investment in FBI field offices and courthouses. Both property proposals were originated by real estate investor Jonathan D Fascitelli.