U.S. Virgin Islands accuses JP Morgan of facilitating Jeffrey Epstein's crimes

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December 30, 2022

According to Fox Business, the financial giant JP Morgan has been accused of turning a blind eye to crimes committed by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

That allegation was brought forward in a lawsuit filed in a Manhattan Federal Court this week by U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George.

Many of Epstein's crimes are said to have occurred on a private island he owned in the territory known as Little St. James.

George, who is representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, contends that JPMorgan Chase acted in contravention of multiple laws.

These include the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, The Virgin Islands Criminally Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and the Virgin Islands Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act.

Lawsuit: Bank "was indispensable" in helping Epstein abuse victims

"The Attorney General brings this action, after presenting her findings in September 2022, in her ongoing effort to protect public safety and to hold accountable those who facilitated or participated in, directly or indirectly, the trafficking enterprise Epstein helmed," George's complaint was quoted as saying.

"The investigation revealed that JP Morgan knowingly, negligently, and unlawfully provided and pulled the levers through which recruiters and victims were paid and was indispensable to the operation and concealment of the Epstein trafficking enterprise," it asserted.

"Upon information and belief, JP Morgan turned a blind eye to evidence of human trafficking over more than a decade because of Epstein’s own financial footprint, and because of the deals and clients that Epstein brought and promised to the bank," the lawsuit went on to state.

"These decisions were advocated and approved at the senior levels of JP Morgan, including by the former chief executive of its asset management division and investment bank, whose inappropriate relationship with Epstein should have been evident to the bank," the complaint added.

"Indeed, it was only after Epstein’s death that JP Morgan belatedly complied with federal banking regulations regarding Epstein’s accounts," it stressed.

Virgin Island obtained $105 million settlement from Epstein’s estate

Meanwhile, NPR noted that George's lawsuit comes only weeks after the U.S. Virgin Islands secured a $105 million settlement from Epstein’s estate.

"This settlement restores the faith of the People of the Virgin Islands that its laws will be enforced, without fear or favor, against those who break them," George said in a statement on December 1.

"We are sending a clear message that the Virgin Islands will not serve as a haven for human trafficking," the attorney general insisted.

"Through this lawsuit and settlement, the Attorney General’s Office, acting on behalf of the Government, is using its authority to enforce the laws of the Virgin Islands against criminal enterprises and to protect public safety," she declared.