Epstein guards make deal to dodge jail time
May 22, 2021
The two prison guards who failed to monitor Jeffrey Epstein on the night of his death are set to completely avoid jail time, according to a letter filed by US prosecutors.
Epstein, a registered sex offender and a New York investment banker, died in August 2019 while awaiting trial for the sex trafficking of underage girls.
What did the guards do on the night of Epstein's death?
The officers, Tova Noel and Michael Thomas, admitted to falsifying records on their activities for the night. Instead of patrolling the prison unit and checking on the disgraced financier every 30 minutes, the two apparently browsed the internet or walked around the unit's common area. Prosecutors also allege both guards were asleep on shift during a two-hour period. Both employees were working overtime due to staff shortages.
The two then "willfully and knowingly completed materially false count and round slips" to make it seem like they fulfilled the required tasks, the letter says.
Epstein was later found dead in a cell just 15 feet (4.6 meters) away from the suspects' desks. Investigators declared his death a suicide.
Why is Epstein's death important?
Many have questioned the official version of events, while others demanded clarity on the apparent series of official blunders that allowed for Epstein's death. This includes the decision to take Epstein off suicide watch just 12 days before he died.
The 66-year-old's death also sparked a slew of conspiracy theories over his contacts with powerful figures, including former US presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump. Epstein also maintained a long friendship with UK royal Prince Andrew, the son of Queen Elizabeth.
What punishment will the guards face?
In the letter filed on Friday, US prosecutors said the two prison employees took responsibility for forging the records and agreed to fully cooperate with an ongoing probe into the case. In return, they would be required to complete 100 hours of community service.
The deal still needs to be approved by a judge, which could happen next week, according to the AP news agency.
Republican Senator Ben Sasse, a vocal critic of the officials' handling of the case, slammed the deal as "unacceptable" and said the public needed to know details on the prison agency's failures.
"One hundred hours of community service is a joke — this isn't traffic court,'' Sasse said in a statement. "The leader of an international child sex trafficking ring escaped justice, his co-conspirators had their secrets go to the grave with him, and these guards are going to be picking up trash on the side of the road."
What else is happening with the Epstein case?
The investment banker's one-time girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, is in jail awaiting trial for allegedly grooming underage girls and paying them to have sex with Epstein. She faces charges of sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy. The date for her trial had originally been set for July, but is now expected to start in November after her lawyers asked for a delay.
In July 2019, Epstein also briefly shared a cell with former police officer Nicholas Tartaglione, who is accused of killing four people over a drug deal.
During his time with Tartaglione, Epstein was found semi-conscious with bruises on his neck, in what was deemed a suicide attempt.
Tartaglione's defenders strongly denied speculation that the former police officer was responsible for the injuries, and said he saved Epstein's life.
Tartaglione is awaiting trial, with prosecutors still deciding whether or not to seek the death penalty over the drug-related killings, according to a report by Rockland/Westchester Journal News last month.