Filed Away

FILED AWAY… Squid got curious about what might be found in the Epstein files concerning Monterey County – Squid was already aware of Jeffrey Epstein’s 2004 visit during that year’s Monterey TED Talks. The New York Times published a story 10 days before Epstein’s death about a dinner at Monterey restaurant Indian Summer where Epstein met the likes of Jeff Bezos and Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page.

The icky part of the story was that Epstein had a dream to inseminate 20 women at a time at his ranch in New Mexico with his own sperm for a scheme to alter the human gene pool (that idea makes even a cephalopod shudder, despite Squid’s ability to produce millions of progeny).

Four years later, Epstein pleaded guilty to Florida charges of solicitation of prostitution of a minor under the age 18. He served 13 months of an 18-month sentence. The billionaires, politicians and others continued to flock to him nonetheless.

In looking through the files, now public on the U.S. Department of Justice’s website, Squid found a credit card statement linked to the 2004 visit. It showed Epstein’s rental car, a stay at the Monterey Marriott, meals at a different now-defunct Monterey Indian restaurant and Little Napoli in Carmel. His credit card was used for a $42.88 purchase at Staples in Seaside. (Color copies of his eugenics plan to share with the tech bros?)

There was an odd find, like a 2017 Carmel Middle School honor roll certificate (the student’s name is redacted) and a 2012 email communication to an unknown person when Epstein wrote, “best massage in Carmel.”

The name “Sophie” kept coming up. It didn’t take Squid long to suss out that Sophie is Sophie Biddle Hakim, a massage therapist and owner of Best You Yet, married to Monterey chiropractor Gilbert Hakim. Squid found emails concerning a loan of $50,000 Epstein gave them to purchase their home in Carmel Valley in 2011.

In 2012, Biddle Hakim wrote to Epstein, who was in Long Beach at the time: “Can you please, please come see me,” adding that her house is just 14 minutes from Monterey Regional Airport.

In an eerie turn of events, Epstein assistant Lesley Groff contacted Biddle Hakim in 2019 about her husband reviewing an MRI of Epstein’s back. Just a little over four months later, Epstein was arrested on one count of sex trafficking minors and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. Weeks later, he was found dead inside his cell.

Squid was unable to reach Biddle Hakim; Hakim declined to comment. Squid’s colleagues will keep poring over the files for more shrimp-flavored intrigue. Any recommended page numbers are welcome at squid@montereycountynow.com.