New Report Details Prison Guard’s Activities Prior To Epstein’s Death
Newly surfaced Justice Department records are raising fresh questions about the chaotic and controversial night Jeffrey Epstein died behind bars. According to documents reviewed by the New York Post, a correctional…
Newly surfaced Justice Department records are raising fresh questions about the chaotic and controversial night Jeffrey Epstein died behind bars.
According to documents reviewed by the New York Post, a correctional officer assigned to the unit where Epstein was held searched his name on Google just minutes before the disgraced financier was discovered dead in his Manhattan jail cell.
The guard has been identified as Tova Noel, one of the officers responsible for monitoring inmates inside the Special Housing Unit at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in August 2019.
Epstein, a convicted pedophile awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, was found lifeless on August 10, 2019. Officials ruled the death a suicide by hanging, but the circumstances surrounding it have fueled years of skepticism and public scrutiny.
Federal Bureau of Investigation records reportedly show that Noel searched the phrase “latest on Epstein in jail” twice shortly before correctional officer Michael Thomas discovered Epstein’s body. The searches occurred within minutes of the discovery, raising immediate questions about the timeline of events inside the facility.
Investigators also learned that Noel had spent portions of her shift shopping online and allegedly sleeping rather than performing required inmate checks. Guards assigned to the unit were required to conduct rounds every 30 minutes.
Noel and Thomas were later accused of falsifying records to make it appear as though those checks had been completed. Both guards lost their jobs, though the criminal charges filed against them were eventually dropped.
At the time, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman sharply criticized the conduct.
“The guards had a duty to ensure the safety and security of federal inmates in their care,” Berman said in 2019. “Instead, they repeatedly failed to conduct mandated checks on inmates, and lied on official forms to hide their dereliction.”
The documents also revealed suspicious financial activity connected to Noel. Chase Bank flagged a series of cash deposits into her account and filed a suspicious activity report with the FBI in November 2019.