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@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ tags:
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summary: "Little St. James is the roughly 70-acre island off St. Thomas that Jeffrey Epstein owned from 1998 through shell companies, where victims alleged abuse, and which his estate sold to Stephen Deckoff in 2023."
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location: "U.S. Virgin Islands (off St. Thomas)"
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created: 2026-06-20
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updated: 2026-09-25
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updated: 2026-10-08
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relations:
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- type: owned
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with: "[[Nautilus, Inc.]]"
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@ -75,27 +75,29 @@ In May 2023 Epstein's estate sold Little St. James together with the adjacent Gr
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Deckoff stated that he intended to develop a luxury resort of about 25 rooms on one of the islands, with reporting at the time citing a planned opening in 2025 and framing the project as a tourism and economic-development venture for the territory. Under the 2022 settlement, half of the Little St. James sale proceeds were directed to the U.S. Virgin Islands government, satisfying part of the estate's obligation.[^9]
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Forbes reported in May 2023 that Deckoff said he had never met Epstein and had never set foot on the islands until they were marketed after Epstein's 2019 death, and that the settlement gave the government half the sale proceeds, which it put at about 30 million dollars.[^10] An undated photograph of Deckoff's Black Diamond business card is among the Justice Department's Epstein releases (EFTA01204007), and Epstein's staff gathered information on Black Diamond's aircraft at St. Thomas in May 2014.[^11]
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The sale ended Epstein's decades-long association with the U.S. Virgin Islands, transferring both islands to new ownership. Reporting noted the unusual challenge of marketing properties so closely identified with the trafficking operation, which informed both the discounted price and the announced plan to rebrand the islands for resort use.[^9]
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### Ownership Structure
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On November 22, 2011, a year after Epstein registered in the territory as a sex offender, he incorporated Nautilus, Inc. in the Virgin Islands, with himself as president and director, his lawyer [[Darren Indyke]] as secretary, and his accountant [[Richard Kahn]] as treasurer, and a stated purpose of "holding property for personal use." A quitclaim deed recorded on December 30, 2011 moved Little St. James from L.S.J., LLC to Nautilus for "TEN DOLLARS ($10.00) and other good and valuable consideration." Most of Epstein's other territorial companies were created in 2011 and 2012, among them LSJ Employees, LLC (registered October 27, 2011 "to provide services"), followed by LSJ Emergency, LLC (December 2, 2015).[^10]
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On November 22, 2011, a year after Epstein registered in the territory as a sex offender, he incorporated Nautilus, Inc. in the Virgin Islands, with himself as president and director, his lawyer [[Darren Indyke]] as secretary, and his accountant [[Richard Kahn]] as treasurer, and a stated purpose of "holding property for personal use." A quitclaim deed recorded on December 30, 2011 moved Little St. James from L.S.J., LLC to Nautilus for "TEN DOLLARS ($10.00) and other good and valuable consideration." Most of Epstein's other territorial companies were created in 2011 and 2012, among them LSJ Employees, LLC (registered October 27, 2011 "to provide services"), followed by LSJ Emergency, LLC (December 2, 2015).[^12]
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The island was served by aircraft held through companies that listed Epstein's pilot [[Larry Visoski]] as a manager or member. [[Hyperion Air|Hyperion Air, LLC]], organized October 19, 2012 with Epstein and Visoski as managers, owned a Bell helicopter (N331JE) and a Keystone helicopter (N722JE) that the territory alleged Epstein used "to transport young women and underage girls between St. Thomas and Little St. James." Plan D, LLC, which owned the Gulfstream N212JE, listed Visoski as its sole manager until a July 31, 2019 annual report named Epstein as the principal.[^10]
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The island was served by aircraft held through companies that listed Epstein's pilot [[Larry Visoski]] as a manager or member. [[Hyperion Air|Hyperion Air, LLC]], organized October 19, 2012 with Epstein and Visoski as managers, owned a Bell helicopter (N331JE) and a Keystone helicopter (N722JE) that the territory alleged Epstein used "to transport young women and underage girls between St. Thomas and Little St. James." Plan D, LLC, which owned the Gulfstream N212JE, listed Visoski as its sole manager until a July 31, 2019 annual report named Epstein as the principal.[^12]
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### Verification, Staff, and Records
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Epstein registered annually as a Tier 1 sex offender in the territory from 2010, and the [[Virgin Islands Department of Justice]] periodically visited or tried to visit the island to verify his address. At the last verification, in July 2018, he refused to let the department's investigators, assisted by [[United States Marshals Service|U.S. Marshals]], go beyond the dock, calling it his "front door," and arranged to meet them instead at his office on St. Thomas.[^10]
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Epstein registered annually as a Tier 1 sex offender in the territory from 2010, and the [[Virgin Islands Department of Justice]] periodically visited or tried to visit the island to verify his address. At the last verification, in July 2018, he refused to let the department's investigators, assisted by [[United States Marshals Service|U.S. Marshals]], go beyond the dock, calling it his "front door," and arranged to meet them instead at his office on St. Thomas.[^12]
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Island employees and others were required to sign confidentiality agreements that barred them from speaking with law enforcement, and were told that if contacted they should notify the Epstein organization and be represented by its counsel; they were also told not to interact with guests or disclose what happened on the island. The former Attorney General Denise George told the FBI in 2023 that when she tried to interview estate employees, they "had nondisclosure agreements and were informed if questioned by law enforcement to say nothing and alert Kellerhals," a reference to Epstein's St. Thomas attorney [[Erika Kellerhals]]. In a December 2014 email to Epstein, his office manager [[Cecile de Jongh]] reported that an employee was "working on the scanning and shredding for all of the entities, FTC, LSJ, Zorro, NES, JEGE, Hyperion, and JEVIF." Documents released by the Justice Department in 2026 included photos and receipts that federal agents reassembled from a bag of shredded paper found during the search of Epstein's house on the island, portions of which remain redacted.[^10][^11][^12]
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Island employees and others were required to sign confidentiality agreements that barred them from speaking with law enforcement, and were told that if contacted they should notify the Epstein organization and be represented by its counsel; they were also told not to interact with guests or disclose what happened on the island. The former Attorney General Denise George told the FBI in 2023 that when she tried to interview estate employees, they "had nondisclosure agreements and were informed if questioned by law enforcement to say nothing and alert Kellerhals," a reference to Epstein's St. Thomas attorney [[Erika Kellerhals]]. In a December 2014 email to Epstein, his office manager [[Cecile de Jongh]] reported that an employee was "working on the scanning and shredding for all of the entities, FTC, LSJ, Zorro, NES, JEGE, Hyperion, and JEVIF." Documents released by the Justice Department in 2026 included photos and receipts that federal agents reassembled from a bag of shredded paper found during the search of Epstein's house on the island, portions of which remain redacted.[^12][^13][^14]
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### Henry Smock
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The St. Thomas attorney [[Henry Smock]] assisted Epstein in the 1998 purchase of the island. Smock later served for years as counsel to the board of the [[Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority]], which oversees the [[Economic Development Commission]] program that granted Epstein's companies their tax benefits, and to the board of the [[University of the Virgin Islands]]. According to FBI notes of George's 2023 interview, Governor [[Albert Bryan]] told her to settle the territory's case against the Epstein estate for 80 million dollars and to "select Henry Smock" as mediator. Smock later represented Bryan in a 2023 divorce and obtained an order sealing its records. Bryan has said Epstein received no special privilege from his administration.[^11][^13]
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The St. Thomas attorney [[Henry Smock]] assisted Epstein in the 1998 purchase of the island. Smock later served for years as counsel to the board of the [[Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority]], which oversees the [[Economic Development Commission]] program that granted Epstein's companies their tax benefits, and to the board of the [[University of the Virgin Islands]]. According to FBI notes of George's 2023 interview, Governor [[Albert Bryan]] told her to settle the territory's case against the Epstein estate for 80 million dollars and to "select Henry Smock" as mediator. Smock later represented Bryan in a 2023 divorce and obtained an order sealing its records. Bryan has said Epstein received no special privilege from his administration.[^13][^15]
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### After the Sale
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Under the 2022 settlement the estate agreed to sell both islands to independent third parties and to wind down its business in the territory; the government's half of the Little St. James proceeds came to about 11 million dollars. As of February 2026 the only construction permit the new owner, Stephen Deckoff, had requested was for an 8,800 square foot concrete warehouse on Little St. James, and the territory's Coastal Zone Management director said the application was incomplete without an environmental assessment.[^8][^11][^14]
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Under the 2022 settlement the estate agreed to sell both islands to independent third parties and to wind down its business in the territory; the government's half of the Little St. James proceeds came to about 11 million dollars. As of February 2026 the only construction permit the new owner, Stephen Deckoff, had requested was for an 8,800 square foot concrete warehouse on Little St. James, and the territory's Coastal Zone Management director said the application was incomplete without an environmental assessment.[^8][^13][^16]
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### Footnotes
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@ -108,8 +110,10 @@ Under the 2022 settlement the estate agreed to sell both islands to independent
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[^7]: "FBI agents swarm Jeffrey Epstein's private Caribbean island." *NBC News,* August 12, 2019. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fbi-agents-swarm-jeffrey-epstein-s-private-caribbean-island-n1041596 (August 12, 2019 search; arrival by boat and helicopter; seizure of electronic devices).
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[^8]: "U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General Settles Sex Trafficking Case Against Estate Of Jeffrey Epstein And Co-Defendants For Over $105 Million." *U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Justice,* December 1, 2022. https://usvidoj.com/u-s-virgin-islands-attorney-general-settles-sex-trafficking-case-against-estate-of-jeffrey-epstein-and-co-defendants-for-over-105-million/ ; "U.S. Virgin Islands reaches a $105M settlement with Jeffrey Epstein's estate." *NPR,* December 1, 2022. https://www.npr.org/2022/12/01/1140096222/jeffrey-epsteins-estate-reaches-a-105m-settlement-with-the-u-s-virgin-islands
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[^9]: "Financier buys Jeffrey Epstein's private islands, with plans to create a resort." *NPR,* May 4, 2023. https://www.npr.org/2023/05/04/1173956903/jeffrey-epstein-island-sold-st-james ; "Jeffrey Epstein's two private islands sell for $60m." *AOL/The Independent,* May 2023. https://www.aol.com/jeffrey-epstein-two-private-islands-160710392.html ; "Billionaire Stephen Deckoff buys Jeffrey Epstein's private islands." *CNBC,* May 3, 2023. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/03/jeffrey-epstein-private-islands-bought-by-billionaire.html
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[^10]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. Estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein, No. ST-20-CV-14 (V.I. Super. Ct.), Second Amended Complaint, paragraphs 6, 12 to 14, 22 to 25, 34 to 36, 128 to 133, 137 to 139, filed as Exhibit 1 to Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 1-1 (December 27, 2022), ECF pp. 3 to 9, 28 to 30. https://web.archive.org/web/20260117011558/https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank,%20N.A.,%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/001-01.pdf
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[^11]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Docs confirm Bryan pressed for special treatment of sex offender." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-confirm-bryan-pressed-for-special-treatment-of-sex-offender/article_5e9483c9-38d2-406c-8bb0-e5757ce287f2.html (shredded-paper reconstruction; George's FBI interview; Smock; 11 million dollars from the sale).
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[^12]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Court filings show V.I. First Lady's loyalty to Epstein." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* June 21, 2023. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/court-filings-show-v-i-first-ladys-loyalty-to-epstein/article_c2dca0a7-a243-5365-88c0-389c576ad022.html
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[^13]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Bryan unapologetic for texts with Epstein, doubles down on denial of wrongdoing." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* March 3, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/bryan-unapologetic-for-texts-with-epstein-doubles-down-on-denial-of-wrongdoing/article_8bab46a1-6075-4c7c-abec-6efb19622e62.html
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[^14]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Still no resort plans for Epstein's islands purchased by Deckoff." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 6, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/still-no-resort-plans-for-epsteins-islands-purchased-by-deckoff/article_84d776de-8427-4080-a1b5-6cf81418e23d.html
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[^10]: Chang, Richard J. "Exclusive: Billionaire Investor Buys Jeffrey Epstein's Private Islands For $60 Million." *Forbes,* May 2023. Copy filed as Exhibit 29 to document 226-30, *Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.,* No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), July 24, 2023; U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02810216. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank,%20N.A.,%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02810216.pdf
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[^11]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01204007 (photograph of a business card) and EFTA01204006 (screenshot of an aviation application), DataSet 9, undated. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01204007.pdf and https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA01204006.pdf ; U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02583238, DataSet 11, email chain headed "Re: Barn," May 16, 2014. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2011/EFTA02583238.pdf
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[^12]: Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. Estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein, No. ST-20-CV-14 (V.I. Super. Ct.), Second Amended Complaint, paragraphs 6, 12 to 14, 22 to 25, 34 to 36, 128 to 133, 137 to 139, filed as Exhibit 1 to Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), ECF No. 1-1 (December 27, 2022), ECF pp. 3 to 9, 28 to 30. https://web.archive.org/web/20260117011558/https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank,%20N.A.,%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/001-01.pdf
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[^13]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Docs confirm Bryan pressed for special treatment of sex offender." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-confirm-bryan-pressed-for-special-treatment-of-sex-offender/article_5e9483c9-38d2-406c-8bb0-e5757ce287f2.html (shredded-paper reconstruction; George's FBI interview; Smock; 11 million dollars from the sale).
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[^14]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Court filings show V.I. First Lady's loyalty to Epstein." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* June 21, 2023. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/court-filings-show-v-i-first-ladys-loyalty-to-epstein/article_c2dca0a7-a243-5365-88c0-389c576ad022.html
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[^15]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Bryan unapologetic for texts with Epstein, doubles down on denial of wrongdoing." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* March 3, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/bryan-unapologetic-for-texts-with-epstein-doubles-down-on-denial-of-wrongdoing/article_8bab46a1-6075-4c7c-abec-6efb19622e62.html
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[^16]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Still no resort plans for Epstein's islands purchased by Deckoff." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 6, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/still-no-resort-plans-for-epsteins-islands-purchased-by-deckoff/article_84d776de-8427-4080-a1b5-6cf81418e23d.html
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