NEW YORK CITY — Bank of America has agreed to pay $72.5 million to settle a lawsuit by survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking operation who allege the bank enabled and profited from his crimes. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff will hold a hearing on April 2, 2026, in Manhattan to decide whether to approve the settlement.

The lawsuit alleges that the bank provided banking services to Epstein, his sex-trafficking operation, and accounts used by victims and associates including Ghislaine Maxwell and Leon Black. The settlement does not include an admission of liability by Bank of America. "While we stand by our prior statements made in the filings in this case, including that Bank of America did not facilitate sex trafficking crimes, this resolution allows us to put this matter behind us and provides further closure for the plaintiffs," a Bank of America spokesperson said.

According to a filing by the victims' lawyers, the settlement covers all women who were sexually abused or trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, or by any person connected to or associated with Jeffrey Epstein or any Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking venture, between June 30, 2008, and July 6, 2019. Attorneys for the survivors say at least 60 women were victimized by Epstein during this period.

The plaintiffs allege the bank failed to properly monitor accounts and did not file timely suspicious activity reports concerning questionable transactions, including transfers made by Leon Black to Epstein from his Bank of America account. The plaintiffs allege that Leon Black transferred $170 million to Epstein from his Bank of America account under the description of "tax and estate planning advice," and that the funds were used to support Epstein's trafficking enterprise.

Leon Black was scheduled for an eight-hour deposition in March 2026. Leon Black did not attend his scheduled deposition after the parties notified the court of the settlement in late March 2026. Leon Black is not a defendant in the lawsuit against Bank of America and has denied any wrongdoing or knowledge of Epstein's criminal conduct.

Epstein survivors filed similar lawsuits against JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank. JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay $290 million to settle its lawsuit with Epstein survivors, while Deutsche Bank agreed to pay $75 million to settle its lawsuit with Epstein survivors. Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.