U.S. Virgin Islands Sues JPMorgan Over Epstein Sex-Trafficking Scheme

According to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan, the attorney general of the U.S. Virgin Islands accuses JP Morgan Chase of helping a man exploit women and girls. According to the suit, JP Morgan provided banking services to the man after he was convicted of sex charges.

According to the lawsuit, the bank should have reported the illegal activities at the villa to the authorities as part of its adherence to anti-money-laundering laws.

The lawsuit said that JP Morgan provided and pulled the levers through which recruiters and victims were paid.

A person declined to speak.

After pleading guilty in 2008 to two counts of soliciting prostitution from a teenage girl and facing allegations that he had helped smother a larger investigation into his activities, Mr. Epstein maintained close associations with a long list of wealthy men, politicians and celebrities. He died in an apparent suicide while in federal custody.

Even though the bank's employees raised alarms about the legal and reputational risks, Mr. Epstein continued to use the bank's high-end banking services after his conviction. He was kicked out of the bank as a client.

The bank's failure to cut ties with Mr. Epstein after his conviction and its failure to scrutinize his activities when new sexual abuse allegations against him amounted to helping him.

According to the lawsuit, the territory's attorney general filed civil racketeering claims against the estate. Women and girls were brought to Little St. James Island, where they were abused and paid to stay silent, according to the 2020 case.

Ms. George and the estate announced an agreement to settle the case for more than 100 million dollars, including 80 million in repayments to the government for tax benefits that Mr. The estate did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

The lawsuit seeks to force the bank to turn over profits from its business with Mr. Epstein and his companies, as well as pay fines and damages to the government.

The sexual enslavement of dozens of women and girls in and beyond the Virgin Islands was the currency of a criminal enterprise that JP Morgan helped to conceal.