Jeffrey Epstein Estate Settles with U.S. Virgin Islands, To Pay Over $105 Million for Sex Trafficking Case
Late businessman, child sex trafficker, and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was caught up in a sex trafficking and child exploitation case in the U.S. territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands. Following a settlement, the Epstein estate must now pay more than $105 million.
According to CNBC, the defendants are required to pay the U.S. Virgin Islands half the proceeds from the sale of Epstein's infamous private island, Little St. James, which the late businessman allegedly used as a major hub for his criminal sex trafficking enterprise.
In addition, the estate will also have to pay an additional $450,000 for damages around another Epstein-owned island in the U.S. territory. The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice stated that it found that Epstein razed a "centuries-old historical structures of enslaved workers" in order to develop it.
The estate must also return over $80 million in economic tax benefits that, according to territory's officials, Epstein, along with his co-defendants, "fraudulently obtained to fuel his criminal enterprise."
Previously, the territory's local government accused Southern Trust Co., which is owned by Epstein, of making fraudulent misrepresentations to qualify for the benefits.
The Associated Press quoted Epstein Estate attorney Daniel Weiner saying, "the settlement does not include any admission or concession of liability or fault by the estate or anyone else."
READ MORE: Jeffrey Epstein Associate Ghislaine Maxwell Being Sued by Her Own Lawyers for Not Paying Them
How Much Will Jeffrey Epstein's Child Trafficking Sex Island Cost?
Given its history, as well as the facilities on the island, it is estimated that Little St. James Island will fetch a high price. According to a real estate company, they are listing the island for $55 million.
The company noted that the property features three beaches and a helicopter pad, a gas station, and over 70 acres, which is around 28 hectares of land. It added that this unused land may offer "an array of subdivision possibilities" and is "a comprehensive, discreetly located, infrastructure support system."
In comparison, that same company is also offering another Epstein-owned island, Great St. James, for $55 million. It has a larger land area, over 160 acres, or around 65 hectares, and also has three beaches.
The New York Post reported that the amount of the settlement will be finalized within a year after the Epstein-owned islands are sold.
U.S. Virgin Island's Case Against Jeffrey Epstein
The case was filed by U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George against the late pedophile's estate back in 2020. The suit claimed that Epstein and others created a sprawling network to "traffic dozens of women and girls" that were reportedly raped, sexually assaulted and held captive on Little St. James Island, part of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The legal battle lasted almost three years. In a statement, AG George said she hopes the settlement would restore the faith of the citizens that the Virgin Islands enforces its laws "without fear or favor, against those who break them" and will not serve as a human trafficking haven.
In April 2021, the Epstein estate paid around $121 million to Epstein's victims under the Victims' Compensation Program. This happened after Epstein has already committed suicide while in prison as he awaited his sex trafficking trial in 2019.
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Written by: Rick Martin
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