Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Prosecutors in the United States Federal law enforcement spent more than a year examining ties between Jeffrey Epstein and Customs and Border Protection officials stationed in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), according to documents recently released by the Department of Justice.
like The Guardian and New York Times According to reports, emails, text messages and investigative records show that Epstein befriended several officers, entertaining them on his island and offering to take them on whale-watching trips aboard his helicopter. He even brought one cannoli on Christmas Eve. In return, Epstein would make complaints to some officers about his treatment at the hands of CBP and other federal agents. Most of the interactions described in the records occurred years after Epstein pleaded guilty to sex crime charges in Florida in 2008.
The CBP officers were never charged with any crimes related to Epstein, and at least one later retired from the agency with a pension, suggesting the government ultimately found no wrongdoing. However, the documents describe patterns of behavior — two officers referred to Epstein as a “friend” — that a government ethics expert described as inappropriate and potential violations of federal guidelines. It also contained grand jury subpoenas that specifically named the officers and forced the recipients, who were largely financial services companies, to assist federal prosecutors who were looking into allegations of conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government.
Customs and Border Protection and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which led the investigation into Epstein, did not respond to requests for comment.
For many years, Epstein He allegedly brought countless women and girls as young as 121 to his private island, Little St. Jamesaccording to A Complaint 2020 Submitted by former USVI Attorney General. Epstein often traveled to and from the USVI on his private plane.
In order to depart from the USVI to other parts of the United States, Epstein’s plane had to be cleared by CBP, according to the FBI in November 2020. Interview report With Epstein’s personal pilot, Larry Visoski.
Visoski told the FBI that some of the passengers were college students and had letters from their schools explaining why they were traveling. Other times, according to Visosky’s interview report, Epstein traveled with a woman holding a foreign passport. If CBP officers began questioning those passengers, Epstein would intervene and begin arguing with the officers, Visosky said.
However, Visoski told the FBI that Epstein made an effort to be friendly with CBP officers, and at times instructed Visoski to collect agents’ contact information. (In an email to a CBP officer, Epstein wrote: “You know, I have great respect for people who do their jobs.”) Over the years, emails and text messages show, multiple CBP officers would attempt to communicate with Epstein, either directly or through Visosky or other associates. On occasion, Epstein would ask officers to go out to Little St. James.
In May 2014, for example, Visoski emailed Epstein, “While going through customs at STT, our nice guy gave me his cell contact.” The pilot added that a “nice person” would be available to visit Little St James that week. Visoski also attached the person’s contact information. The next day, Epstein’s island property manager emailed Epstein notifying him that the person, a CBP officer, would be picked up Wednesday for lunch. (It is unclear whether this lunch ever occurred.)
Emails in 2015 and 2016 show that Epstein would assign another officer, Glenn Samuel, to come to Little St. James to play steel drums — a side gig that Samuel had informally announced at some point on his Facebook page. In a series of emails in January 2015, Epstein asked a colleague to clarify Samuel’s rate. The fellow replied: “Mr. Samuel says he has no intention of charging you. He regards you as a friend and was doing it for you. If you would like to give him something, he is grateful, but there is no fee.” Samuel did not respond to a request for comment.