St. Thomas Jet Center

St. Thomas Jet Center is a full-service fixed-base operator at Cyril E. King Airport in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the operator of the lower-cost service provider Alliance Aviation at the same field.¹ In November 2018 the BBA Aviation subsidiary Signature Flight Support agreed to acquire the business, with Alliance Aviation, Jet Set Rental Cars and Tri Island Energy Fuel Logistics.¹²

Ownership and the 2018 sale

The Virgin Islands Daily News reported in 2018 and again in 2020 that Michael Hancock and Susan Hancock bought St. Thomas Jet Center from the Boehlke family in 2002, and that Michael Hancock had started his own aviation business with locations on the mainland and St. Thomas in 1995.³⁴ Aviation International News, reporting the sale on November 1, 2018, wrote that the Hancocks had owned the FBO for more than two decades and would remain with the business, along with the staff, for at least the next two years.¹ The Daily News added that the Hancocks had opened Jet Set Auto Rentals, entered bulk and marine fuel distribution through Tri-Island Energy, and in 2008 started a small charter airline, Capital Air.³ The family-owned Bohlke International Airways has had a presence at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport on St. Croix since 1959; records found do not establish whether the St. Thomas "Boehlke family" is the same family.⁵

Michael Hancock was identified as president of St. Thomas Jet Center in the company's release, and Signature's release quotes him: "Having received offers from other potential buyers, we decided that Signature Flight Support presented the best opportunity both for our customers and employees alike."²

The purchase was phased. Signature held a 49 percent interest on the date of the agreement and was to acquire the remaining 51 percent within 14 months.¹² The Daily News reported that a joint venture company, Signature-STT-LLC, was incorporated at the time of the stock sale, jointly owned by the Hancocks and BBA Aviation under the Signature Flight Support brand, with Michael Hancock as president.⁴ The executive terminal and two hangars of 8,000 and 16,200 square feet were described as generally reserved for tenant aircraft, and the FBO had been certified as a U.S. Customs and Immigration clearance and pre-clearance facility.¹² Aviation International News reported that the operation had repaired most of its damage from Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017.¹

In December 2020 the Daily News reported that the FBO had been awarded a three-year contract as preferred provider of fuel and handling for three fractional and charter operators that had recently been bought by a venture capitalist and hedge fund, and that it was building a 2,000 square foot VIP lounge.⁴

Epstein flight notices, 2012

On October 1, 2012, at 12:29 PM Eastern, Francisco D'Agostino wrote to Todd Meister: "Hey! We will land at 12:15PM in St. Thomas FBO: Alliance Aviation. Tail # N3FD."⁶ Meister forwarded the message to Jeffrey Epstein that afternoon with the note "Here is the info below on landing time etc."⁶ At 3:31 PM Eastern he sent it to Lesley Groff; at 3:44 PM Groff wrote to Epstein, copying Larry Visoski, that Meister "called to confirm he will be going to the island tomorrow with his Venezuelan friend and that Larry is to pick them up in the helicopter upon arrival."⁷ At 4:42 PM an addressee whose name is redacted asked Groff whether the party would be staying overnight on "lsj" or whether it was "just a drop."⁸ At 7:38 AM on October 2 a further message to Meister, sender redacted, stated that Larry "is definitely aware of your arrival today and will be there with the helicopter to pick you guys up."⁹ The Epstein Library search for "N3FD" returns 29 documents, in Data Sets 9 and 10.¹⁰

The FAA's releasable deregistered file lists two earlier registrations of N3FD: a Wittman W-8 cancelled February 1, 1994, and a 1997 Extra EA300/200 registered to a St. Augustine, Florida aviation sales company and cancelled March 15, 2005 on export to Germany. The FAA shows the mark as a reserved N-number held since July 21, 2022 by a Groveland, Florida reservation service, and no aircraft was registered under N3FD in October 2012.¹¹

Black Diamond's 2014 inquiry

On May 16, 2014, Richard Kahn wrote to Larry Visoski: "Can you poke around tonight about Black Diamond Trading as Danny says they are trying to buy Jet Center."¹² Kahn's message names no FBO beyond "Jet Center." Records found do not establish whether that "Jet Center" is the St. Thomas operator sold in 2018. Kahn's forward of the exchange to Epstein called the company "the black diamond guys trying to buy aircraft."¹³ The firm of that name in the adjacent records is Black Diamond Capital Management, headed by Stephen Deckoff.