Tunnel found near Brooklyn synagogue is miles from Jeffrey Epstein's home | Fact check

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
·3 min read

The claim: Tunnel next to Chabad Lubavitch synagogue is less than a mile from Epstein’s former residence

A Jan. 14 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) includes a map of New York’s Upper East Side and claims it shows a connection between a tunnel found adjacent to a synagogue and Jeffrey Epstein, the late disgraced financier accused sex trafficker.

“The Chabad headquarters where they found the tunnels are less than a mile away from Jeffrey Epstein’s former primary residence,” reads the post. “The tunnels are full of bloody mattresses and baby carriages.”

It received more than 100 likes in four days. Other versions of the claim spread widely on Facebook and TikTok.

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Our rating: False

The distance in the post is wrong because the map incorrectly identifies the location of the tunnel. The map shows Chabad Lubavitch's Upper East Side of Manhattan location, but the tunnel was discovered adjacent to Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn. That's more than 7 miles from Epstein’s former townhome.

Claim gets location of tunnel wrong

The claim stems from the discovery of a tunnel running adjacent to the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn. A rouge faction of the group had built the unauthorized tunnel in an attempt to get access to the synagogue, and Chabad officials contacted police to investigate when it was discovered.

Nine men were arrested in a chaotic clash with police as the group behind the construction protested a plan to fill it with concrete, the Associated Press reported. The situation subsequently sparked an array of false claims on social media.

But it's nonsense to assert a connection between Epstein and this event, which came to the attention of police due to the synagogue's own report and has not led to any charges beyond those from the confrontation.

The map correctly identifies Epstein’s former Manhattan townhome at 9 East 71st Street, but it incorrectly states the tunnel was found at Chabad Lubavitch of the Upper East Side, which is in Manhattan.

The tunnel was discovered adjacent to Chabad Lubavitch’s World Headquarters, which is located at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. The two locations are more than 7 miles apart, according to Google Maps.

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Additionally, the post's claim that the tunnel was "full of bloody mattresses and baby carriages" is baseless. Officials only found dirt, debris from workers and excavation tools in the tunnel, USA TODAY previously reported.

Mattresses shown in a viral video came from behind wood paneling inside the synagogue, not from the tunnel. An unverified video shows what appears to be a high chair, but it shows only one such seat, and it was located amid trash, clutter and dirt in a basement room near the tunnel, not in a tunnel.

USA TODAY reached out to several users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Logically Facts also debunked the claim.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim synagogue tunnel is close to Epstein's home | Fact check