Jail Guards 'Misconduct' Led to Jeffrey Epstein's Suicide, DOJ Watchdog Claims
Epstein died in his Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.
June 27 2023, Published 8:08 p.m. ET
The Justice Department's watchdog revealed that Jeffrey Epstein's death was blamed on a "combination of negligence and misconduct" of a jail guard, who was supposed to be conducting routine monitoring of the disgraced financier, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Epstein took his own life in August 2019. At the time of his death, the convicted pedophile was in custody at a New York City federal jail, where he awaited trial for sex trafficking charges.
According to Inspector General Michael Horowitz, egregious errors by the Bureau of Prisons' allowed Epstein to go unmonitored for an extended period of time and take his own life to avoid trial. Horowitz explained that the Manhattan jail failed to assign another cellmate to Epstein after his previous one moved out.
The inspector general also noted issues with the facility's security cameras.
In addition to a faulty surveillance system and being left alone in his cell, Horowitz said Epstein was also given too many bed linens, which he used to commit suicide.
Horowitz detailed his findings in a 2023 report that covered his investigation into the shocking death, which was suspected of foul play at the time.
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The inspector general's report reiterated claims from jail employees who complained of being overworked. Complaints included individuals assigned to guard Epstein.
After Horowitz identified 13 employees from the federal facility who allegedly demonstrated sub-par performance, the inspector general recommended charges for 6 employees.
Of the employees, Horowitz recommended charges for only two were held accountable.
Nova Noel and Michael Thomas were directly tasked with monitoring Epstein at the time of his death. The guards were said to have been online shopping and/or sleeping when they should have been conducting checks on Epstein's cell every 30 minutes.
After Noel and Thomas admitted to falsifying record logs, both accepted plea deals and avoided becoming the inmates they were once assigned to guard.
Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Benjamin O’Cone confirmed that Noel and Thomas left the agency in April 2022.