Epstein Island Owner Sues Influencers Over Trespassing Spree

Billionaire Stephen Deckoff bought two Caribbean islands once owned by Jeffrey Epstein for $60 million in 2023, planning a resort. Instead, he has spent the past two years fighting a stream of trespassers – YouTubers, conspiracy theorists, and self-styled truth-seekers who land on Little St. James to film themselves exploring Epstein's former compound.

Deckoff has filed nine lawsuits in US Virgin Islands court against social-media influencers, seeking to claw back any money they made from videos of their visits. The suits accuse them of trespassing and, in some cases, burglary. One lawsuit calls the defendants "delusional fame-seekers" who believe Epstein is still alive.

Epstein used Little St. James as a base for his sex-trafficking operation before his 2019 suicide. The island became a magnet for conspiracy theories, with rumors of underground tunnels and hidden files. Deckoff's plan to build a resort has stalled; the only permit he has sought is for a warehouse, according to the territory's planning department. The temple-like building on the island – once painted with blue and white stripes – has been repainted a solid color, losing its distinctive look.

The trespassing has triggered increasingly aggressive responses from island staff. In April, caretaker Ann Rodriquez was arrested after a content creator was found "hog-tied and totally naked" on a boat, according to a police affidavit. Rodriquez, who managed the property under Epstein and continued under Deckoff, faces false imprisonment and assault charges. She declined to comment when reached by phone.

Another incident in March involved two YouTuber brothers, Eloi and Marcel Gil Sancho. After they flew a drone onto the island, Rodriquez allegedly pointed a BB gun designed to look like a Glock at them and yelled "I will kill you," according to a sworn statement. One brother was hog-tied; the other was taken to the island. Their memory cards were thrown into the ocean.