NEW YORK — Newly released Department of Justice files have shed light on the role of Nadia Marcinko, a Slovak model who became Jeffrey Epstein's pilot and alleged romantic partner, in federal investigations into the late financier's sex-trafficking network. According to the documents, Marcinko provided information to authorities about Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell between 2018 and 2022 in exchange for assistance with her U.S. visa status, marking a significant revelation about one of the more enigmatic figures in the Epstein saga.
Marcinko, now 40, was identified as a co-conspirator in Epstein's controversial 2008 non-prosecution agreement in Florida, where he pleaded guilty to state charges of procuring a minor for prostitution and solicitation. That deal, often criticized as a 'sweetheart' arrangement, allowed Epstein to avoid federal sex-trafficking charges at the time. Her attorneys have long maintained that Marcinko was herself a victim of Epstein's exploitation, a claim now echoed in federal correspondence. A 2022 letter from FBI Special Agent Amanda Young, part of the agency's child exploitation and human trafficking division, confirms Marcinko's cooperation: "Marcinko participated in several telephonic and in person meetings with our office concerning our investigation of criminal charges against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell."
The files, obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests and reviewed by The Appleton Times, detail how Marcinko's legal team sought FBI intervention in 2022 when her visa expired. In an email to Agent Young, her lawyer Erica Dubno wrote, "Marcinko 'cooperated extensively' and was 'working on her healing and finally trying to put all of this behind her.' She is finally trying to have a somewhat normal life. We really appreciate your continued help and support." The FBI supported the request, describing Marcinko as a human trafficking victim who could not safely return to Slovakia due to fears of retaliation. Agent Young declared to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services: "She was recruited, harbored and obtained by Jeffrey Epstein and others for purposes of a coercive sexual relationship."
Marcinko's path to the U.S. traces back to the early 2000s, reportedly through a visa obtained via Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel, the French modeling agent later accused of procuring girls for Epstein and who died by suicide in a Paris jail in 2022 while awaiting trial on rape charges. Emails between Marcinko and Epstein, reviewed as part of the federal files, reveal the beginnings of their relationship. In messages from 2003, when Marcinko was 18, she described starting a sexual relationship with Epstein. However, some victims from West Palm Beach told law enforcement that they were coerced into sexual acts involving Marcinko as early as 2002, when both she and the victims were underage. The precise date of Marcinko's arrival in the United States remains unclear.
As opposed to learning to have fun fishing for girls, your focus was how ‘disgusting’ the bait is,
Epstein wrote in a 2006 email to Marcinko, then 21, complaining about her reluctance to recruit young women for him during a trip to Europe. “You return from Europe, where you had totally free time, empty handed,” he added, in an apparent reference to her failure to procure girls. On another occasion, he griped, “You tell me you will dance, and don’t. . . . you tell me you will do fun sex things, and don’t. . . . As opposed to you saying ‘Jeffrey, I don’t want to dance, but I love you and will try’ so that there is a real effort. . . . Instead it’s no. no. no.”
These exchanges paint a picture of a manipulative dynamic, with Marcinko expressing desires for a committed partnership while Epstein pressured her into facilitating his activities. Around 2010, she attempted to distance herself, writing in an email: “I wanted to have a life with you as a partner. . . . I had the rest of my life planned with you and I was fully invested in our relationship. That was a fantasy and we couldn’t make it work. I feel sick thinking about my future with you shattering.” Despite this, their communication continued, and Marcinko pursued her pilot's license, eventually flying Epstein's private Boeing 727, dubbed the Lolita Express by prosecutors for its alleged use in transporting underage girls to Epstein's properties worldwide, including his private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
In 2011, with financial support from Epstein, Marcinko launched Aviloop, an aviation company that blended flight services with other ventures. Epstein commented approvingly in an email: “Website is cool. Mix of porn, Groupon and flying. The marketing campaign could be ‘buy with us — WE give a flying f–k.'” This business venture proved crucial for her U.S. residency after Brunel's modeling agency declined to renew her visa that same year, when she was 26. The investor visa tied to Aviloop sustained her stay until it lapsed in 2021, prompting her lawyers to approach the FBI for aid amid her ongoing cooperation, which had begun in 2018—the same year Epstein and Marcinko's email correspondence ended.
Florida court documents from Epstein's 2008 case accused Marcinko of participating in sex acts with minors to “satisfy Epstein’s criminal sexual desires,” though she was never charged with any crimes. Her attorneys have consistently portrayed her as a victim, a narrative bolstered by the FBI's recent endorsement. The cooperation came at a pivotal time: Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges and died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell a month later. Maxwell, his longtime associate, was convicted in 2021 on charges including sex trafficking of a minor and is serving a 20-year sentence.
The release of these files adds another layer to the sprawling Epstein investigation, which has implicated high-profile figures and sparked ongoing lawsuits and document unseals. Marcinko's story highlights the blurred lines between victim and participant in Epstein's orbit, a theme echoed in accounts from other women associated with him. For instance, some former employees and victims have described similar patterns of coercion and dependency, where financial and emotional ties kept individuals entangled despite attempts to break free.
Immigration experts note that federal agencies occasionally assist cooperating witnesses with visa issues, particularly in human trafficking cases, under provisions like the T visa for victims. However, Marcinko's case is unusual due to her named status in the 2008 plea deal. “This underscores the complexities of prosecuting networks like Epstein's, where victims may have been coerced into roles that complicate their legal standing,” said one former federal prosecutor who spoke on condition of anonymity because of ongoing sensitivities in the case.
Broader implications extend to questions about Epstein's enablers and the adequacy of past investigations. The 2008 Florida deal, overseen by then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta—who later served as Labor Secretary under President Trump—has been scrutinized for potentially shielding co-conspirators. Marcinko's uncharged status aligns with that criticism, though her cooperation may have contributed to Maxwell's downfall. Victims' advocates argue that more such disclosures could encourage other witnesses to come forward, potentially leading to additional accountability.
As of now, Marcinko's current whereabouts and visa status remain private, with her lawyers declining to comment on the newly released files. The Department of Justice has not indicated further releases related to her, but the Epstein case continues to generate public interest, with civil suits against his estate ongoing in multiple jurisdictions. For Marcinko, the documents suggest a hard-won path toward stability after years in Epstein's shadow, though the scars of that era persist.
The revelations also revive attention to Epstein's global reach, from his Palm Beach mansion to his New York townhouse and Little St. James island. Prosecutors have alleged the Lolita Express ferried dozens of underage girls, with flight logs listing prominent passengers alongside victims. Marcinko's time as pilot, starting around 2010, places her at the helm during some of these flights, though she has not been accused of knowingly transporting minors.
In the end, these files humanize a figure long shrouded in mystery, illustrating the tangled web of abuse, ambition, and survival that defined Epstein's world. While Marcinko's cooperation aided federal efforts, it also underscores the long road to justice for those ensnared in such networks. As investigations evolve, her story serves as a reminder of the ongoing quest for transparency in one of the most notorious scandals of the past decade.