A survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's sex crimes who accused JPMorgan Chase of facilitating the disgraced billionaire's abuse of dozens of girls and young women has reached a settlement with the bank on behalf of herself and other victims. The bank will pay $290 million, said plaintiffs' attorney David Boies, NPR reports. "It is, I think, an object lesson of how much farther we need to go, as a society, to really implement the rule of law — not just for the rich and powerful, but for the weak and the vulnerable," Boies said. The lawsuit is one of several targeting banks who serviced Epstein's financial dealings for years, even after it emerged in 2006 that Epstein was using his wealth to exploit minors and young women. Last month, Deutsche Bank agreed to a $75 million settlement in a similar case. News of the JPMorgan settlement emerged Monday, the same day a federal judge granted class-action status to the suit, saying the number of plaintiffs could be "well over 100."
A court hearing on the proposed settlement is set for June 26. The suit accused JPMorgan of profiting from helping and supporting Epstein and his associates "to successfully rape, sexually assault, and coercively sex traffic Plaintiff Jane Doe 1" and other victims. The lawsuit covers more than 15 years, from Jan. 1, 1998, through Aug. 19, 2013, when Epstein or his business entities had accounts with JPMorgan. In 2000, the lawsuit alleges, Epstein ramped up his relationship with the bank and also his sexual predation, using large sums of money to lure his victims into procuring more girls and young women. Two other high-profile Epstein-related cases remain unresolved: a U.S. Virgin Islands' suit again JPMorgan Chase, and JPMorgan Chase's claims against its former executive James Edward "Jes" Staley, whom it accuses of covering up Epstein's actions. Over the weekend, Staley was deposed in the suits by Jane Doe 1 and the Virgin Islands.