In February 2026, social media users claimed newly released government emails proved that the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — who died by suicide in 2019 — was alive and living in Colorado in 2021. The posts pointed to a July 6, 2021, email thread included in a January 2026 document release by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Social media users highlighted a line (archived) stating that "Epstein does live in Colorado," arguing it proved Epstein was still alive two years after his reported death in federal custody. For example, an X post (archived) on Feb. 11 read:
🚨EPSTEIN IS ALIVE🚨
Emails in the Epstein files dated July 6 2021 from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services discuss how Jeffrey Epstein lives in Colorado.
"Epstein does live in Colorado so he is 2 hours behind, though he has jumped on calls as early as 9am EST in the past."
As it turns out, Elizabeth Ross "Libet" Johnson, the heiress to Johnson & Johnson signed the deed of her chalet in Vail Colorado into a trust in Jeffrey Epstein's name years ago.
(X user @AreOhEssEyeEe)
The post also paired the email excerpt with a separate allegation involving a Vail, Colorado, ski property once associated with Epstein, suggesting that the connection reinforced the idea that he was alive.
Versions of the claim spread across multiple social media platforms, including X, Instagram, Threads and Facebook, often accompanied by screenshots of the email excerpt.
We contacted the DOJ for clarification on why the July 2021 emails were included in its January 2026 release. We also contacted an attorney included in the correspondence and await replies to our questions.
What the July 2021 emails show
The most widely circulated document, labeled "EFTA01656139," includes a scheduling discussion noting that an "Epstein" lived in Colorado and that his time zone affected call planning. The thread includes an email about arranging a debriefing and coordinating schedules among federal officials.
The surname "Epstein" appears without a first name. Nowhere in the thread does it say "Jeffrey Epstein."
Though the sender's name is redacted, their signature block reflects affiliation with the HHS Office of Inspector General in Tampa, Florida. An HHS-OIG spokesperson told Snopes via email that the correspondence is legitimate but "is not related to Jeffrey Epstein," adding that it appears to have been included due to an error in the DOJ's document production process.
The email exchange also includes the address 550 Biltmore Way, Suite 780, Coral Gables, Florida — the publicly listed office address of criminal defense attorney Frank A. Rubino. That detail is consistent with the email's references to coordinating through counsel.
A second file dated July 6, 2021, and labeled "EFTA01656148," provides additional context. In it, Jamie de Boer, a trial attorney with the DOJ Criminal Division's Fraud Section, refers to scheduling a debrief with "Mr. Epstein" and offering to send documents in advance. De Boer's name also appears in other DOJ news releases related to federal health care fraud prosecutions.
The same email also appears in a separate file, labeled "EFTA01656146," but in that version the attorney's name is redacted (see comparison below).
(Department of Justice)
The exchange also includes the frankrubino.com, further linking the correspondence to Rubino.
(Department of Justice)
Another email chain, shown in a file labeled "EFTA01656144," includes someone signing as "Frank" asking investigators to send the referenced documents so "Epstein" could review them ahead of the debrief. The use of "Frank" in that context is also consistent with Rubino.
Finally, a related July 22, 2021, email labeled "EFTA01656149" references documents provided to "Epstein via counsel" and discusses showing materials during an interview.
We contacted Rubino to confirm whether he represented Richard Epstein in connection with a federal health care fraud matter, and whether the July 2021 email chains referencing "Epstein" and a debrief through counsel were related to that representation. We will update this story if we receive a response.
What we know about Richard Epstein
Government news releases and court filings help identify the "Epstein" the emails described as living in Colorado.
In November 2021, the DOJ and HHS Office of the Inspector General announced that Richard Epstein of Aurora, Colorado, had been
Moreover, a federal court filing in the Southern District of Florida states that Rubino previously represented a government witness named Richard Epstein and that Epstein cooperated with federal authorities in a health care fraud investigation.
Taken together, the documents indicate the July 2021 emails referenced a federal fraud investigation involving Richard Epstein — not Jeffrey Epstein.
The July 2021 email thread also referenced "Shatz (et al)," phrasing that typically indicates a legal matter involving multiple people. Though the emails do not elaborate on the reference, the DOJ has filed health care fraud cases involving people with the surname Shatz. This supports the conclusion that the correspondence concerned a health care fraud case rather than anything related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Finally, some versions of the rumor tried to reinforce the narrative by pointing to reporting that Johnson & Johnson heiress Elizabeth Ross "Libet" Johnson once put a Vail, Colorado, chalet into a trust "in Jeffrey Epstein's name." While she did transfer a chalet in Colorado into a trust in 1998 naming herself and Jeffrey Epstein as co-trustees, this detail does not prove that the July 2021 emails referred to Jeffrey Epstein.
In sum …
All in all, the July 2021 emails circulating online reference an "Epstein" living in Colorado and discuss scheduling a debrief through counsel. The documents do not identify the person as Jeffrey Epstein. Public records show that federal authorities were working with a man named Richard Epstein, a Colorado resident involved in a health care fraud case. Therefore, the emails do not demonstrate that Jeffrey Epstein was alive in 2021 and the claim remains baseless.