VI CONSORTIUM
ST. THOMAS — The Virgin Islands Department of Justice (V.I.D.O.J.) is moving aggressively to secure its claims on Jeffrey Epstein’s half-billion-dollar estate, including the dead pedophile’s Caribbean islands and, potentially, other valuable assets.
Superior Court Magistrate Judge Carolyn P. Hermon Percell last week granted Attorney General Denise George’s motion to grant the Virgin Islands government status as a Claimant-Intervener, or legal participant, in the expanding legal battle to carve up Epstein’s $577 million fortune among his victims and others with claims on the Epstein Estate. At least a dozen alleged victims to date have filed lawsuits in New York federal and state courts, and even more are expected to file in jurisdictions including Florida, New Mexico and France.
In January, the V.I.D.O.J. filed a civil lawsuit of its own, alleging that the Epstein estate and a series of Virgin Islands limited liability companies were used to further a human trafficking scheme. The corporate entities named in the suit allegedly provided assets – helicopters, planes, real property – to transport young women and girls as young as 13 to Little St. James, Epstein’s private island off the east coast of St. Thomas, where they were held against their will, raped, threatened and otherwise sexually assaulted.
“The Government has an interest in the assets of the Estate, as well as an interest in ensuring the laws of the Virgin Islands are enforced for the benefit of the Government and the victims of Epstein’s crimes,” according to Attorney General George’s successful motion to intervene.
To that end, the Department of Justice appealed to the court to reject the Epstein estate executors’ motion to establish a Voluntary Claims Resolution Program (a so-called Epstein Fund) for the purposes of providing “… all eligible claimants an opportunity to receive compensation and voluntarily resolve their claims of sexual abuse against Mr. Epstein.”
The V.I.D.O.J. alleged in its motion last week that certain details of the proposed Epstein Fund would be inconsistent with Virgin Islands law, “and wholly inadequate to effectively protect the rights of the victims who seek compensation and those who might come forward in the future.”
Ms. George said the V.I.D.O.J. wants to ensure Epstein’s assets are “fully identified and made available, transparently and with due consideration and respect for the probate process, to all of those with claims against his Estate, including the Government of the Virgin Islands. “The victims of his crimes,” she added, also ” … should have a fair opportunity to obtain redress for what they have suffered. I expect that some victims will want an expedited process that provides compensation – however incomplete – for the harm done to them. I respect that,” said Ms. George.
According to the V.I.D.O.J.’s civil suit, Epstein, whose August 2019 death in a New York jail was ruled a suicide, lured girls as young as 13 into a human trafficking operation, after promising them money for school, health care, or to take care of their families. The suit further alleged that Epstein and associates forced their victims into sexual servitude by confiscating their passports, controlling their communication, and threatening violence.
By intervening now, Ms. George hopes to ensure the territory’s interests are protected as probate process gets underway. So far, at least 12 lawsuits against the Epstein Estate or related parties have been filed in federal and state courts on the mainland. More are expected, officials say.
In the motion filed by the intervener V.I.D.O.J. on Monday, the attorney general alleged, among other things, that the two lawyers serving as executors of the estate, Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, have conflicts of interest, as both served as “officers or trustees” of companies named in the V.I.D.O.J. lawsuit against the estate.
“Intervention is particularly necessary given the potential conflict of interest of the Executors in administering the Estate …,” the motion states.
The territory’s civil suit last month targets the Epstein estate and six Virgin Islands corporate entities Ms. George said were used to carry out “an expansive scheme of human trafficking and sexual abuse of young women and under-aged girls here in the Virgin Islands.”
The defendants are identified as:
The 1953 Trust: Epstein’s will have transferred all his assets to the Trust, just two days before his death.
Plan D LLC: This company owned one or more of the airplanes and helicopters used to transport Epstein’s victims to the Virgin Islands and Little St. James, according to the Complaint.
Great St. Jim LLC: Incorporated in 2015, this company owns Great St. James. Epstein is member and manager.
Nautilus Inc.: This company was created in 2011 and is listed as owner of Little St. James. Epstein was president and director. Epstein allegedly purchased Great St. James because of its proximity to Little St. James, and to further shield his activities from public view and prevent detection by police.
Hyperion LLC: This company owned one or more of the airplanes and helicopters used to transport Epstein’s victims to the Virgin Islands and Little St. James, according to the Complaint.
Popular Inc.: This company held other Epstein assets.