Documents that were unsealed as part of a new lawsuit by the US Virgin Islands against JPMorgan Chase have revealed that at least 20 of the victims on Jeffrey Epstein’s island were paid through accounts at the bank. Insider reports that the US Virgin Islands filed a new version of its December lawsuit in January, which had far less redacted information than the prior one. JPMorgan had asked a federal court in Manhattan to dismiss the suit. The new filing states that Epstein had 55 accounts that were worth “hundreds of millions of dollars.” The suit alleges that the abuse and trafficking took place between 2003 and 2019. From 2003 to 2013, the victims were paid over $1 million. The suit provided emails that JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon knew about Epstein’s ties to the bank.
Even more damning is the evidence of Epstein’s friendship with Jes Staley, a JPMorgan executive who resigned as the CEO of Barclay’s once that friendship came to light. Staley was tasked with looking for red flags on Epstein’s account activity. As far back as 2006, Epstein had been labeled a “high-risk” client by the bank. The lawsuit states:
Between 2008 and 2012, Staley exchanged approximately 1,200 emails with Epstein from his JP Morgan email account. These communications show a close personal relationship and ‘profound’ friendship between the two men and even suggest that Staley may have been involved in Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation.
Some of those emails contained photos of women. According to The Epoch Times, one email exchange included the following after Staley visited Epstein’s island:
Staley: Say hi to Snow White.
Epstein: What character would you like next?
Staley: Beauty and the Beast
Epstein: Well one side is available.
In another email, Staley said, “I realize the danger in sending this email. But it was great to be able, today, to give you, in New York City, a long heartfelt, hug.”
Wire transfers occurred shortly after a visit by Staley to Epstein in Florida, and following a request by Staley for “something” in London. The lawsuit states, “None of the emails between Epstein and Staley were flagged in connection with risk reviews of Epstein’s accounts. Moreover, JP Morgan allowed Staley to remain a decisionmaker on Epstein’s accounts. JP Morgan even tasked Staley to discuss the human trafficking allegations with Epstein.”
Related: Associate of Jeffrey Epstein, Found Hanged in Jail Cell
Even as late as 2013, the bank reported that there was nothing unusual about Epstein’s accounts. However, the filing alleges that between 2003 and 2019, “Epstein also withdrew more than $775,000 in cash over that time frame from JP Morgan accounts, especially significant as Epstein was known to pay for ‘massages,’ or sexual encounters, in cash. Financial information also reflects payments drawn from JP Morgan accounts of nearly $1.5 million to known recruiters, including to the MC2 modeling agency, and another $150,000 to a private investigative firm.”
In addition to civil penalties, authorities have asked that the court order the bank to pay fees to the government and the court and provide restitution of “all ill-gotten gains.” They are also seeking an injunction to prevent JPMorgan from committing any further illegal conduct, or concealing it.
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