Epstein Island — Little St. James, US Virgin Islands

The Island Compound

Epstein purchased Little St. James in the U.S. Virgin Islands for approximately $7.95 million and transformed it into a private compound. The development included a main residential building, multiple guest houses, a library, a cinema, a gym, a helipad, a commercial-grade dock, and the now-iconic blue-and-white striped temple structure visible in aerial and satellite imagery. The island's isolation — accessible only by boat or helicopter from St. Thomas — made it an ideal location for concealing criminal activity from outside observation.

In 2016, Epstein expanded his Virgin Islands holdings by purchasing neighboring Great St. James Island (165 acres) for $18 million. Construction activities on Great St. James drew environmental complaints from the USVI government. Following Epstein's death, both islands became the subject of a civil enforcement action by USVI Attorney General Denise George, who alleged that the islands were used as part of a decades-long trafficking enterprise.

Flight Log Evidence

Pilot-maintained manifests from Epstein's Boeing 727 (N908JE) and Gulfstream aircraft document hundreds of flights to the Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, the nearest commercial airport to Little St. James. From St. Thomas, passengers transferred to the island by helicopter or boat. The flight logs — maintained by pilots David Rodgers and Larry Visoski and entered as court exhibits in Giuffre v. Maxwell — show a regular pattern of travel between Teterboro (New Jersey), Palm Beach, St. Thomas, and Paris, establishing the island as a central node in Epstein's network of properties.

Trial Testimony & FBI Investigation

Multiple survivors described abuse on the island during the Maxwell trial (December 2021) and in sworn depositions filed in Giuffre v. Maxwell. Victims recounted being recruited in New York or Palm Beach and flown to Little St. James, where they were subjected to sexual abuse by Epstein and, in some accounts, his associates. The island's remoteness was cited by multiple witnesses as a factor that made escape or resistance effectively impossible.

Following Epstein's arrest on July 6, 2019, FBI agents executed a search warrant on Little St. James. The search recovered computers, storage media, photographs, and other physical evidence. These materials supplemented evidence previously seized from Epstein's Manhattan townhouse at 9 East 71st Street during a concurrent raid.

USVI Civil Action & Estate Settlement

In January 2020, USVI Attorney General Denise George filed a civil enforcement action against the Epstein estate alleging a pattern of sex trafficking, forced labor, and racketeering across both islands. The suit documented how Epstein used local shell companies — including Southern Trust Company and L.S.J. LLC — to manage the properties and obscure ownership. In 2023, the Epstein estate reached a settlement with the USVI government. Both islands were subsequently listed for sale, with Little St. James eventually selling in 2024. The Victims' Compensation Fund, administered separately, distributed over $121 million to more than 135 claimants.