Jeffrey Epstein's guards were reportedly asleep on the job during his apparent suicide

(Image credit: DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images)

published 14 August 2019

Two guards who were responsible for monitoring Jeffrey Epstein's unit at a federal detention center were asleep on the job during his apparent suicide, The New York Times reports, citing law enforcement and prison officials. The guards then reportedly falsified records to cover up their actions.

Epstein was being held in a special housing unit of the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The Justice Department said Tuesday that the warden at the center has been reassigned, and the guards have been placed on leave. Such staff reassignments reportedly are often used to preserve the integrity of an investigation.

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Harold Maass is a contributing editor at The Week. He has been writing for The Week since the 2001 debut of the U.S. print edition and served as editor of TheWeek.com when it launched in 2008. Harold started his career as a newspaper reporter in South Florida and Haiti. He has previously worked for a variety of news outlets, including The Miami Herald, ABC News and Fox News, and for several years wrote a daily roundup of financial news for The Week and Yahoo Finance.

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