--- alias: - VIPA - V.I. Port Authority - VI Port Authority - USVI Port Authority - Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) category: U.S. Government created: 2026-09-25 location: 8074 Lindbergh Bay, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands relations: - fn: 1 reverse: true role: interim, then executive director start: 2026-04 type: head_of with: '[[Ava Penn]]' start: 1969-02-11 summary: Territorial authority owning the U.S. Virgin Islands' public airports and seaports, which leased Jeffrey Epstein's aviation company a St. Thomas hangar and whose director and board member both dealt with Epstein. tags: - Organization - VirginIslands - VirginIslandsPortAuthority - Airports - JeffreyEpstein - GovernmentCapture - CarltonDowe updated: 2026-09-25 --- The Virgin Islands Port Authority is the public authority that owns and manages the airports and public seaports of the [U.S. Virgin Islands](/places/us-virgin-islands/), including Cyril E. King Airport on [St. Thomas](/places/st-thomas/) and Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on [St. Croix](/places/st-croix/). It was created by the Seventh [Legislature of the Virgin Islands](/organizations/legislature-of-the-virgin-islands/) in December 1968 and dates its establishment to February 11, 1969. [Jeffrey Epstein's](/people/jeffrey-epstein/) aviation company held a hangar facility lease from the authority at the St. Thomas airport, and the office manager of his territorial companies, [Cecile de Jongh](/people/cecile-de-jongh/), asked him in December 2018 whether he would support the return of [Carlton Dowe](/people/carlton-dowe/) as its executive director. Dowe returned in 2019 and retired in April 2026 after a federal bank fraud indictment against him was unsealed. The former senator [Celestino White](/people/celestino-white/), who had signed a paid agreement with Epstein in 2013, has sat on its governing board since 2020.[^1][^2][^3][^4] ### Establishment and Directors After the transfer of the Danish West Indies in 1917 the [United States Navy](/organizations/us-navy/) ran the ports, building a submarine base on St. Thomas and commissioning Bourne Field at Lindbergh Bay on September 1, 1935; it became a Marine Corps Air Station in December 1941. The Department of the Interior and then the Virgin Islands Corporation, a federal corporation chaired by the Secretary of the Interior that also grew sugarcane and ran hotels and a golf course on St. Croix, managed the ports and former military properties before the Virgin Islands Airport and Industrial Development Agency took them over in 1966 under Alton Adams Jr. On December 24, 1968 the Legislature passed Act 2375, establishing the Port Authority and charging it "with the ownership and management of the territory's public air and seaports"; Act 2405 set February 11, 1969 as its date of establishment. Adams remained executive director until 1971, followed by Jack M. Monsanto (1971 to 1975), John E. Harding (1975 to 1991), Gordon A. Finch (1991 to 2002), Darlan Brin (2003 to 2008), Kenneth Hobson (2008 to February 2012) and the interim director Don C. Mills. The board selected Dowe, a former senator, on January 16, 2013; he served until December 2016, and David W. Mapp Sr. held the post from 2017 to 2019. Dowe returned on July 8, 2019 and retired in April 2026. Ava Penn was named interim executive director and was selected as executive director in September 2026.[^1] The authority's administrative office is at Lindbergh Bay on St. Thomas, and its St. Croix office is in the Rohlsen terminal at Estate Manning Bay. Its board members are limited by territorial law to two terms, unless the Legislature finds that a nominee has rendered "exceptional service." The St. Thomas airport, first known as Harry S. Truman Airport, was renamed in 1984 for Cyril E. King, the territory's second elected governor. The former Attorney General [Vincent Frazer](/people/vincent-frazer/), who had waived Epstein's 21-day travel notice in 2012, was later the authority's senior counsel, and was publicly reprimanded by the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands in October 2022 over his handling of an escrow deposit in a private matter.[^1][^5][^6][^7] ### Epstein and the Airport The [Economic Development Commission](/organizations/economic-development-commission/) held its November 15, 2012 public hearing on the tax-incentive application of Epstein's [Southern Trust Company](/organizations/southern-trust-company/) in the Port Authority conference room on St. Thomas, with [Albert Bryan](/people/albert-bryan/), then its chairman, presiding. On April 8, 2014 the special assistant to the executive director wrote to Cecile de Jongh, who forwarded the message to Epstein: "Executive Director Dowe has requested that I schedule Mr. Epstein's appointment. Director Dowe is available to meet with Mr. Epstein on Thursday, April 10, 2014 at 12:30 p.m., at the Virgin Islands Port Authority in the office of the executive director."[^8][^9] On August 18, 2017 Epstein's company Thomas World Air, of the Royal Palms Professional Building on St. Thomas, wrote to Chief Edred J. Wilkes Jr. of the authority's Police Division at Cyril E. King Airport as "Lessee under that certain Hangar Facility Lease Agreement with the Virgin Islands Port Authority," requesting aviation identification badge "Escort Privileges" for an assistant to his chief pilot, [Larry Visoski](/people/larry-visoski/), so that the assistant could "escort contractors on the ramp side to perform repairs" in Visoski's absence. On January 15, 2019 Visoski reported that Governor Bryan's deputy chief of staff, Kevin Rodriquez, had arrived by chartered Cessna in front of Epstein's hangar and introduced himself.[^10][^11] The 2023 trafficking suit against the territory, Doe 1 v. Government of the United States Virgin Islands, alleged that the government gave Epstein an "Unrestricted entry port for sex offender traveling with young women and girls," "Never searched airplane nor residence," and "Given Customs and Border Protection officers Security seals and VIPA badges for VIP access through airport," and listed among the benefits received "Turkeys for thanksgiving to all airport and customs personnel." It alleged that "Epstein traveled openly through USVI airports accompanied by young sex trafficked women and girls." The authority was not named as a defendant. On March 21, 2025 Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed the claims against the territory and the individual officials for lack of personal jurisdiction in New York.[^4][^12] ### Dowe's Return On December 24, 2018, after Bryan's election, Cecile de Jongh wrote to Epstein, as quoted in the Doe complaint: "John wanted to know whether you would support Carlton Dowe's bid to go back to the VIPA [VI Port Authority]. . . He would be a good person for us at VIPA." Her husband, [John de Jongh](/people/john-de-jongh/), had been governor from 2007 to 2015. The complaint listed the benefit to Dowe as "Epstein supported bid for USVI Port Authority job"; the court later noted that the plaintiffs did not allege that Dowe received any payments from Epstein. Dowe returned to the post on July 8, 2019, the day Epstein appeared in federal court in Manhattan on sex-trafficking charges following his arrest on July 6.[^1][^4][^12][^13] According to notes of an October 2, 2023 [Federal Bureau of Investigation](/organizations/federal-bureau-of-investigation/) interview with the former Attorney General [Denise George](/people/denise-george/), Bryan sent Dowe, as director of the Port Authority, to press her to settle the territory's suit against Epstein's estate; Dowe told her he "does things for Bryan too but has a line he won't cross." A 2022 complaint to the FBI, released in January 2026, alleged that Dowe was "paid off" by Epstein over construction of a hangar at Cyril E. King Airport. *The Virgin Islands Consortium* reported that the hangar in question belonged to a private aviation company built under a public-private partnership with the authority, not to Epstein, and that "Epstein previously sought approval to construct a hangar at the airport, but that proposal was rejected by Dowe and VIPA."[^3][^14] ### The Board and the 2026 Indictment Governor Bryan nominated White to the board in 2020, and the Rules and Judiciary Committee forwarded his nomination on February 6, 2020. After the release of [Justice Department](/organizations/department-of-justice/) files in January 2026 showing that White had offered to work on Epstein's behalf, including on the purchase of the government-owned Dog Island, Bryan renominated him, asking reporters, "Is lobbying illegal in the Virgin Islands." At the committee hearing of February 26, 2026 White, the board chairman Willard John and Leona Smith, each at the two-term limit, were advanced under the "exceptional service" provision; on March 18 the Legislature confirmed all three by votes of 11 to 3.[^5][^6][^15][^16] On March 20, 2026 an indictment returned on March 12 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico was unsealed charging Dowe with four counts of bank fraud, four counts of making a false statement on a loan application and one count of aggravated identity theft, over loan applications to Banco Popular de Puerto Rico between 2021 and 2023. The same day he gave John notice of his retirement effective April 10, and John told WTJX he had not known of it. The attorney Joseph DiRuzzo III appeared as his counsel.[^6] [^1]: Virgin Islands Port Authority, "Our History," including the list of executive directors and office addresses, accessed September 25, 2026. https://www.viport.com/our-history [^2]: Doe 1 v. Government of the United States Virgin Islands, No. 1:23-cv-10301-AS (S.D.N.Y.), Second Amended Complaint, ECF No. 112 (May 24, 2024), paragraph 4 and chart (Exhibit G), pp. 2 to 4. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.610915/gov.uscourts.nysd.610915.112.0.pdf [^3]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Docs confirm Bryan pressed for special treatment of sex offender." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026 (FBI notes of an October 2, 2023 interview with Denise George). https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/docs-confirm-bryan-pressed-for-special-treatment-of-sex-offender/article_5e9483c9-38d2-406c-8bb0-e5757ce287f2.html [^4]: Doe 1 v. Government of the United States Virgin Islands, No. 1:23-cv-10301-AS (S.D.N.Y.), Second Amended Complaint, ECF No. 112 (May 24, 2024), paragraphs 4 to 6 and charts, pp. 2 to 8, and paragraphs 166 to 169. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.610915/gov.uscourts.nysd.610915.112.0.pdf [^5]: Charlemagne, Nelcia. "After Two-Term Limit, VIPA Board Nominees Advance on 'Exceptional Service' Vote." *The Virgin Islands Consortium,* February 27, 2026. https://viconsortium.com/vi-senate/virgin-islands-after-two-term-limit--vipa-board-nominees-advance-on--exceptional-service--vote [^6]: Eader, Tom. "VIPA ED Carlton Dowe indicted on bank fraud, tells board of retirement same day as court appearance." *WTJX,* March 20, 2026; United States v. Dowe, No. 3:26-cr-00084 (D.P.R.), docket. https://newsfeed.wtjx.org/2026-03-20/vipa-ed-carlton-dowe-indicted-on-bank-fraud-tells-board-of-retirement-same-day-as-court-appearance ; https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/72610038/united-states-v-dowe/ [^7]: "V.I. Supreme Court Reprimands Former Attorney General for Issuing Good Faith Deposit for Potential Sale of Business to Client While a Dispute Was Ongoing." *The Virgin Islands Consortium,* October 31, 2022. https://viconsortium.com/vi-government/virgin-islands-v-i-supreme-court-reprimands-former-attorney-general-for-issuing-good-faith-deposit-for-potential-sale-of-business-to-client-while-a-dispute-was-ongoing ; Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904-JSR (S.D.N.Y.), Exhibit 83, ECF No. 194-24 (filed June 20, 2023), pp. 36 to 47 (Frazer letters of July 25 and August 14, 2012). https://web.archive.org/web/20260117011719/https://www.justice.gov/multimedia/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank,%20N.A.,%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/194-24.pdf [^8]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA02812344, Court Records, Government of the United States Virgin Islands v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., No. 1:22-cv-10904 (S.D.N.Y.), Exhibit 290, ECF No. 245-15 (filed July 25, 2023): Economic Development Commission, Public Hearing transcript, November 15, 2012, pp. 1-2. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/Court%20Records/Government%20of%20the%20United%20States%20Virgin%20Islands%20v.%20JPMorgan%20Chase%20Bank%2C%20N.A.%2C%20No.%20122-cv-10904%20(S.D.N.Y.%202022)/EFTA02812344.pdf [^9]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA01929537, DataSet 10, email chain from the special assistant to the executive director of the Virgin Islands Port Authority to Cecile de Jongh, forwarded to Jeffrey Epstein, April 8, 2014. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01929537.pdf [^10]: U.S. Department of Justice, Epstein Library, EFTA00799380, DataSet 9, letter from Thomas World Air, LLC to Chief Edred J. Wilkes Jr., Virgin Islands Port Authority Police Division, Cyril E. King Airport, August 18, 2017. https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%209/EFTA00799380.pdf [^11]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Files reveal Epstein's efforts to influence V.I. officials; emails with Mapp." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* February 2, 2026 (Visoski email of January 15, 2019). https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/files-reveal-epstein-s-efforts-to-influence-v-i-officials-emails-with-mapp/article_2dd4fe69-4daf-4dc2-b3b8-37a929002bb6.html [^12]: Doe 1 v. Government of the United States Virgin Islands, No. 1:23-cv-10301-AS (S.D.N.Y.), Opinion and Order, ECF No. 202 (March 21, 2025), pp. 1 to 2, 10. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.610915/gov.uscourts.nysd.610915.202.0.pdf [^13]: "Jeffrey Epstein operated a vast sex-trafficking network of underage girls who recruited other victims, prosecutors say." *CNN,* July 8, 2019. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/08/us/jeffrey-epstein-monday-court-appearance [^14]: Gilbert, Ernice. "Former Gov. Kenneth Mapp Visited Epstein's Island, Sought $50,000 for Final Election Push, DOJ Records Show." *The Virgin Islands Consortium,* January 31, 2026. https://viconsortium.com/vi-federal/virgin-islands-former-gov--kenneth-mapp-visited-epstein-s-island--sought--50-000-for--final-push---doj-records-show [^15]: Lee, Bethaney. "Former Senator Celestino White Approved for Port Authority Board." *St. Thomas Source,* February 6, 2020, captured February 7, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200207131359/https://stthomassource.com/content/2020/02/06/former-senator-celestino-white-approved-for-port-authority-board/ [^16]: Carlson, Suzanne. "Bryan unapologetic for texts with Epstein, doubles down on denial of wrongdoing." *Virgin Islands Daily News,* March 3, 2026. https://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/news/bryan-unapologetic-for-texts-with-epstein-doubles-down-on-denial-of-wrongdoing/article_8bab46a1-6075-4c7c-abec-6efb19622e62.html