The U.S. Virgin Islands government filed a lawsuit Tuesday against JPMorgan Chase, accusing the Wall Street bank of helping Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
The bank is accused of failing in its duty to report suspicious financial activity.
“Over more than a decade, JPMorgan (JPM) clearly knew it was not complying with federal regulations in regard to Epstein-related accounts as evidenced by its too-little too-late efforts after Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges and shortly after his death, when JPMorgan (JPM) belatedly complied with federal law,” said the complaint filed by US Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George.
The lawsuit added a dagger that should make all of Epstein’s friends nervous: “Human trafficking was the principal business of the accounts Epstein maintained at JPMorgan.”
The complaint accuses JPMorgan Chase of concealing “wire and cash transactions that raised suspicion of a criminal enterprise whose currency was the sexual servitude” of young girls.
Last month two anonymous women who accused Epstein of sexual abuse filed civil lawsuits against JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank claiming banks enabled and benefited financially from Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
The women accuse JPMorgan of having “provided special treatment to the sex-trafficking venture, thereby ensuring its continued operation and sexual abuse and sex-trafficking of young women and girls.”
“Without the financial institution’s participation, Epstein’s sex trafficking scheme could not have existed,” the lawsuit says.
Bradley Edwards, a lawyer in the case against Deutsche Bank, told the Wall Street Journal earlier:
“The time has come for the real enablers to be held responsible, especially his wealthy friends and the financial institutions that played an integral role.
“These victims were wronged, by many, not just Epstein.
“He did not act alone.”
Holding the banks accountable is one thing but the American public needs to see Epstein’s full client list released no matter the consequences.
It is far past the time to come clean on that and if powerful men fall so be it.
The attorney general of the U.S. Virgin Islands is accusing JPMorgan Chase of helping Jeffrey Epstein illegally exploit women and girls, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday. The suit says the bank helped conceal Epstein’s suspicious activities.https://t.co/0eT8QXZXsf
— The New York Times (@nytimes) December 29, 2022
U.S. Virgin Islands sues JPMorgan over banking services for Jeffrey Epstein https://t.co/zxOBLK1pmu
— MarketWatch (@MarketWatch) December 29, 2022
The US Virgin Islands is suing JPMorgan for “turning a blind eye” to former client Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking on his private island there https://t.co/VPBfvla3sc
— Bloomberg (@business) December 29, 2022
