Jeffrey Epstein kept a fake passport in a safe filled with diamonds and piles of cash, prosecutors have claimed, as they argued before a judge on Monday to keep the registered sex offender behind bars ahead of his trial.

Epstein, 66, will find out on Thursday whether he will be granted bail. His lawyers argue that he can remain under house arrest in his $77 million (£62m) Upper East Side mansion, on a $100 million bail, as he awaits trial on charges of sex trafficking of minors. They have offered to forfeit his passport and private jet.

Prosecutors argue that Epstein, a well-connected financier who counted Prince Andrew, Donald Trump and Bill Clinton among his former friends, poses a significant flight risk.

They presented the expired passport, featuring Epstein’s photo, a fake name and a given home address in Saudi Arabia, as evidence of his likelihood of escaping.