Jeffrey Epstein used a former Russian official with ties to the FSB intelligence unit in Moscow to gather information about a woman he claimed was trying to blackmail his business partner, according to documents released by the U.S. Justice Department.

The latest batch of documents contained in the so-called Epstein dossier show that in 2015, Epstein sought advice from former Deputy Economic Development Minister Sergei Belyakov about what he said was an attempt to extort a group of “powerful” New York businessmen.

“I need a favor,” Epstein wrote in a July 2015 email to Belyakov, describing a blackmail attempt by a Russian woman who arrived at New York’s Four Seasons Hotel last week.

Epstein said the situation was “bad for business for everyone involved” and asked for “advice.”

Belyakov, a graduate of the FSB Academy, a training school for intelligence officers in Moscow, wrote back that he needed some time “to get information about her” and that he would meet a man who knew the woman the next day.

Days later, Belyakov sent Epstein a roughly 100-word description of the woman’s background and what the former official described as her “sex and escort” business.

“She has no support from anyone,” Belyakov said, adding that she was not believed to have received “any sponsorship.”

Belyakov said “business issues” could have led the woman to resort to extortion and said denying her entry into the United States would pose a “real threat” to her business.

Epstein, FSB Academy graduate, American billionaire

Belyakov, who became chairman of the board of directors of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum after leaving the Kremlin in 2014, relied on Epstein to gain access to prominent figures in the financier’s circle, documents show.

After meeting Epstein in May 2014, Belyakov told the convicted sex offender that he didn’t know many people who could offer “new vision and prospects.”

“I look forward to my next meeting with you,” he told Epstein.

In July 2015, Belyakov sought Epstein’s help in organizing a meeting with American venture capitalist Peter Thiel and billionaire heir and businessman Thomas Pritzker.

“Sergey – let me know when you are in San Francisco and it would be great if we could meet up sometime,” Thiel wrote in a July 2015 email to Belyakov after being introduced by Epstein.

More than a week later, Belyakov told Epstein that Thiel and Pritzker shared their views on the Russian economy and other topics, calling the meetings “very helpful.”

“By the way, I was surprised by the amount of information they had about the Russian economy and their views on our society,” Belyakov wrote, adding that he hoped to see the two businessmen again in Moscow.

In 2016, Belyakov sought feedback from Epstein on proposals he wanted to discuss with U.S. business leaders.

Epstein told Belyakov that he liked the idea, but was not specific in the email, but that he should find a “good English editor” before sharing the business proposal and that there were “beautiful women” who could fill the role.

Al Jazeera’s attempts to contact Belyakov, including through the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum and the e-commerce company Ozon, where he served as managing director from 2021 to 2024, were unsuccessful.

The Thiel Foundation did not respond to a request for comment. Pritzker declined to comment through a spokesman for his foundation.

Epstein also tried to arrange meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, but there is no indication he succeeded, documents show.

In June 2018, Epstein wrote in an email to former Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjorn Jagland: “I thought you might suggest to Putin that Lavrov could gain insight by talking to me.”

Jagland, who is under investigation in Norway for alleged corruption in his dealings with Epstein, wrote back that he would “suggest” the idea to Lavrov’s aides.

Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, has long been the focus of speculation that he worked for or cooperated with intelligence agencies on behalf of several countries, including Israel.

During his lifetime, he had a close relationship with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, with the two exploring numerous business ventures and regularly exchanging letters on personal matters.

Barak’s former aide Yoni Koren was a former Israeli military intelligence officer who died in 2023. He also lived at Epstein’s residence for a long time while he was being treated for cancer in the United States in the late 2010s.