Steven Hoffenberg, who went to prison for running a Ponzi scheme with Jeffrey Epstein, was discovered dead on Tuesday at his residence in Derby, Connecticut.
The cause and manner of death are still unknown, as the body appeared to be in advanced decay. The Derby Police Department said officers went to Hoffenberg’s residence around 8 p.m. Tuesday night in response to a call for a welfare check.
Officers discovered “the body of a white male in a state where a visual identification could not be made,” according to the statement. On Thursday afternoon, a public info officer was not available to speak with Rolling Stone, but a spokesperson for the dept told the New York Post, “Every indication is that it is Mr. Hoffenberg.” According to the police statement, an initial autopsy showed no trauma.
Maria Farmer, an artist who did survive sex exploitation at the hands of Epstein, informs Rolling Stone that she was in regular communication with Hoffenberg and that when her calls to him went unanswered, she notified Derby police to conduct a welfare check. Farmer tells Rolling Stone, “I want people to know how kind this gentleman was to survivors while asking for nothing.”
