US Virgin Islands subpoenas Elon Musk documents for lawsuit concerning Jeffrey Epstein's bank, JPMorgan Chase

The government of the US Virgin Islands has issued Tesla chief, Elon Musk, with a court order for documents in its lawsuit seeking to hold an American bank liable for sex trafficking acts by Jeffrey Epstein.

The subpoena issued on April 28 came to light on Monday in a request by the Virgin Islands to serve Mr Musk by alternative means because it could not locate him. 

Its filing said Mr Musk may have been referred to JPMorgan Chase bank by the late sex offender Epstein.

However, it did not provide further explanation for wanting to obtain documents from Mr Musk. 

The US territory did not seek to question Mr Musk under oath, and the court order did not implicate him in any wrongdoing.

Last year, the Virgin Islands sued JPMorgan Chase, alleging the bank missed red flags about Epstein's abuse of women on Little Saint James, a private island he owned in the Caribbean.

The government said its investigation had revealed that JPMorgan Chase enabled Epstein's recruiters to pay victims and was "indispensable to the operation and concealment of the Epstein trafficking enterprise".

The bank has said it had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes and it should not be held liable for a former top executive's relationship with Epstein.

In 2019, Epstein was 66 years old when died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial.

The court order has seen the Virgin Islands demand any documents Mr Musk has about Epstein's involvement in human trafficking and his procurement of girls or women for commercial sex.

Its subpoena also sought any communications between Mr Musk and JPMorgan Chase about Epstein, as well as between Mr Musk and Epstein.

Documents regarding fees paid by Mr Musk to Epstein or JPMorgan Chase also fall under the subpoena.

Mr Musk did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Reuters/AP