Victims of Jeffrey Epstein file lawsuit against Bank of America, alleging involvement in the sex trafficking of teenage girls.

Women who claim they were victims of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein have filed a lawsuit against Bank of America in Manhattan federal court. The lawsuit, submitted on Wednesday, accuses the financial institution of overlooking significant warning signs and violating banking laws. The plaintiffs, represented by a woman identified as Jane Doe and a proposed class of other victims, allege that the bank chose to demonstrate what they describe as “absolute loyalty” to Epstein, prioritizing profit over the protection of victims associated with his child sex trafficking activities.

According to the legal complaint, Jane Doe alleges that she was subjected to Epstein’s abuse from 2011 through 2019. The lawsuit claims that Bank of America ignored substantial evidence that Epstein was involved in the trafficking of underage girls and young women, opting instead to bolster its financial gains by maintaining ties with the convicted sex offender.

The suit contends that Epstein’s relationship with Bank of America was rooted in the bank’s willingness to facilitate his illicit operations. It asserts that the bank’s executives were fully aware that discontinuing their association would result in the loss of accounts linked to Epstein, thereby jeopardizing the financial benefits derived from these relationships.

Bank of America has declined to provide comments regarding the lawsuit. Nonetheless, the legal action underscores the broader implications of financial institutions’ involvement with individuals linked to criminal activity, particularly in light of ongoing scrutiny and investigation into Epstein’s extensive financial transactions.

The lawsuit references data from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, revealing that Epstein and his associates conducted an alarming 4,725 wire transfers amounting to over billion between 2003 and 2019. This alarming figure is part of a larger investigation launched by the House Judiciary Committee, focusing on financial institutions implicated in facilitating Epstein’s trafficking activities.

Additionally, the complaint highlights that at least one account obtained by Epstein in collaboration with Jane Doe was used until his death in 2019 for purposes that remain unclear to the victim. The legal document claims that there was widespread knowledge—or at the very least, a culpable level of ignorance—about Epstein’s criminal activities among banking executives by 2006, particularly following his registration as a sex offender after an earlier conviction.

This lawsuit emerges in the wake of similar claims against major banks such as JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank. In June 2023, JPMorgan Chase agreed to a 0 million settlement for at least 100 victims, while Deutsche Bank reached a million settlement, shedding light on the responsibility financial institutions bear in cases of sex trafficking and abuse. As these cases unfold, they reveal the complexities and ethical challenges that financial entities face when navigating relationships with clients involved in criminal activities.