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Jeffrey Epstein: two New York prison guards charged Jeffrey Epstein: prison guards charged with hiding failure to keep watch
(about 1 hour later)
Duo responsible for guarding Epstein, whose August death was ruled a suicide, charged with offenses relating to alleged failure to check on him Tova Noel and Michael Thomas were meant to check Epstein every half-hour but instead they browsed the web and slept, court papers allege
Two New York correctional officers responsible for guarding Jeffrey Epstein the night he killed himself have been charged in connection with his death, it was reported on Tuesday. Two federal corrections officers were indicted on Tuesday for allegedly trying to hide their failure to check on inmates on the night the convicted sex offender and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein killed himself in his Manhattan cell – a mere 15ft from the jail’s common area.
The guards, named as Tova Noel and Michael Thomas, were expected to appear in court charged with offenses related to their alleged failure to check on the disgraced financier and sex offender, the New York Times reported. Officers Tova Noel and Michael Thomas “repeatedly failed to complete mandated counts of prisoners under their watch” in the special housing unit (SHU) of the Manhattan correctional center early on 10 August, even though Epstein had apparently tried to kill himself a few weeks earlier, prosecutors said.
Epstein, who was awaiting trial for allegedly sex trafficking minors in Florida and New York, was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan correctional center in Manhattan in August. New York City’s medical examiner ruled his death a suicide. Epstein, who was awaiting trial for allegedly sex trafficking minors in Florida and New York, was found dead in his cell. The New York City medical examiner ruled his death a suicide.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The workers were supposed to check on the wealthy financier who counted Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew among powerful and well-known associates every half an hour. Instead, Noel and Thomas “sat at their desk, browsed the internet and moved around the common area of the SHU”, the Manhattan US attorney’s office said.
The workers were supposed to check on Epstein, a wealthy financier who counted Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew among powerful and well-known associates, every half an hour. Noel was looking at furniture websites while Thomas was looking motorcycle sales and sports news, the indictment said. The officers also allegedly slept for about two hours.
Instead, the New York Times reported, the two guards fell asleep. Esptein had been left for several hours before he was found. The guards allegedly falsified records to cover up what they had done. To cover up the fact they were not working as required, prosecutors said, the officers “repeatedly signed false certifications attesting to having conducted multiple counts of inmates that they did not do”.
Epstein, 66, had been placed on suicide watch after he was found unconscious in jail with injuries to his neck. That watch had been lifted before Epstein died. The bogus forms meant jail management thought SHU prisoners were being monitored as required. “In fact,” the indictment said, “as a result of the defendants’ conduct, no correctional officer conducted any count or round of the SHU” from 10.30pm on 9 August until approximately 6.30am on 10 August.
A month before his death, Epstein was arrested and charged with the sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York. In 2008, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison after he was found guilty of soliciting girls as young as 14 for prostitution. When the officers made their rounds with the inmates’ breakfasts, it was discovered that Epstein was dead.
In August, Epstein’s death was ruled suicide by Dr Barbara Sampson, New York City’s medical examiner. Noel allegedly admitted to not conducting several rounds. The indictment said Thomas told a supervisor: “We messed up. I messed up. She’s not to blame. We didn’t do any rounds.”
After Sampson issued her verdict the Washington Post reported that the autopsy found Epstein had a number of broken bones in his neck, injuries consistent with strangulation. The names of the officers’ attorneys were not immediately available.
The reports and Sampson’s finding touched off a number of conspiracy theories, including several retweeted by Trump, that Epstein’s death may have been untoward. Court papers also provided new details about Epstein’s psychological distress – and how the jail handled him. After a 23 July suicide attempt, he was put on suicide watch for 24 hours. He was then put under psychiatric evaluation until 30 July.
The arrest of the guards comes as a new Epstein accuser sued Epstein’s estate, claiming he committed a “vicious, prolonged sexual assault” on her when she was 15. The woman, who is named as Jane Doe 15 in legal documents, is one of about a dozen women suing Epstein’s estate for alleged sexual abuses. After that, Epstein was returned to the SHU where, at the direction of psychological staff, he was supposed to have an assigned cellmate. The morning before Epstein’s death, his cellmate was moved in a “routine, pre-arranged transfer”.
On Sunday, Prince Andrew gave a rare interview to the BBC in which he was quizzed about his long friendship with Epstein. The interview prompted a significant backlash in the UK, the US and elsewhere, as Prince Andrew claimed he had no knowledge of Epstein’s behavior and said he believed staying with Epstein after the financier had been convicted of child sex offenses, was the “honorable thing to do”. “No new cellmate was assigned to his cell,” court papers said.
Asked for comment on the indictments, Kathleen Hawk Sawyer, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said in a statement: “Any allegations of misconduct are taken very seriously by the agency and will be responded to appropriately. I am committed to this agency and am confident we will restore the public’s trust in us.”
In 2008, Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in prison after he was found guilty of soliciting girls as young as 14 for prostitution. A month before his death, he was arrested and charged with the sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York.
In August, Epstein’s death was ruled suicide by Dr Barbara Sampson, New York City’s medical examiner. The Washington Post later reported that the autopsy found Epstein had broken bones in his neck, injuries consistent with strangulation.
The report and Sampson’s finding touched off a number of conspiracy theories, including several retweeted by Trump, that Epstein’s death may have been untoward.
The arrest of the guards comes as a new Epstein accuser sued Epstein’s estate, claiming he committed a “vicious, prolonged sexual assault” on her when she was 15. The woman, named as Jane Doe 15 in legal documents, is one of about a dozen women suing Epstein’s estate for alleged sexual abuses.
On Sunday, Prince Andrew gave a rare interview to the BBC in which he was quizzed about his long friendship with Epstein. The interview prompted significant backlash in the UK, the US and elsewhere, as the prince claimed he had no knowledge of Epstein’s behavior and said he believed staying with Epstein after the financier had been convicted of child sex offenses was the “honorable thing to do”.
In announcing her lawsuit, Jane Doe 15 appealed for Prince Andrew to come forward with information about Epstein.In announcing her lawsuit, Jane Doe 15 appealed for Prince Andrew to come forward with information about Epstein.