EFTA00087291¶
Kellerhals Ferguson Kroblin PLLC¶
February 5, 2019¶
Via Email and Hand Delivery¶
The Honorable Denise N. George, Esq.¶
Attorney General¶
V.I. Department of Justice¶
RE: Notice of Criminal Activity Lien¶
Dear Attorney General George:¶
While we are aware that you were not present at the Estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein (the “Estate”) hearing before Judge Percell yesterday, Civil Chief Ariel Smith, Esq. appeared on behalf of the Government and the issue of the impact of the Notice of Criminal Activity Lien (“Lien”) on the Estate arose. Attorney Smith clarified on the record that the V.I. Department of Justice, with the filing of the Criminal Activity Lien in the probate case, has no intention of prohibiting the co-Executors from paying expenses associated with the administration of the Estate and that the Estate could continue to function, pay employees, and pay attorneys, among other things. The Court echoed that sentiment and directed from the bench that the Lien does not interfere with the estate administration, as contemplated by the Decedent’s Last Will and Testament, V.I. Code Ann. tit. 15, §§ 421, 568, and the Virgin Islands Rules for Probate and Fiduciary Proceedings.¶
Unfortunately, that is exactly what has occurred. Immediately following the hearing, and in stark contrast to the Government’s explicit representation made on the record and the Court’s instruction, the Estate received notification from Dudley Newman Feuerzeig, counsel to First Bank, that a hold has been placed on certain accounts, including, most importantly, the Estate of Jeffrey E. Epstein account. See attached correspondence. We demand that you immediately direct First Bank, through its counsel, that a lien of the Estate account is inappropriate and the account should be restored to active status. Your failure to do so will result in our filing an emergency motion with the Court seeking a declaration that the lien does not attach to the Estate account, as well as sanctions for acting in direct contravention to your office’s representations to the Court and the Court’s statement that administrative expenses must and should be paid by the Estate.¶
Sincerely,¶
Christopher A. Kroblin¶