2 prison workers on duty when Jeffrey Epstein died indicted on federal charges

Two federal workers have been indicted in connection with Jeffrey Epstein's death, with several other workers implicated in their testimony.

A Tuesday indictment from the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan has charged Tova Noel and Michael Thomas each with five counts of false entries in official records and one count of conspiracy. The charges detail how they allegedly neglected to check in on Epstein the August night he hanged himself in New York City's Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Epstein, a wealthy financier, was in prison after decades of allegations of sexual abuse involving minors. Guards were supposed to check on his unit twice an hour throughout the night, but video footage apparently shows no one entered Epstein's wing of the building from 10:30 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. when his body was found. Noel and Thomas allegedly spent that time surfing for furniture sales and sports news, their indictments say.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Both Noel and Thomas have allegedly admitted to skipping their rounds, implicating other guards who say they conducted those rounds with them. If convicted, Noel and Thomas could spend up to 30 years in prison.

Epstein's death has been the source of numerous conspiracy theories, with even Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) suggesting Epstein didn't actually hang himself on Tuesday. Epstein's brother has also fanned the flames surrounding his death in recent weeks, though an autopsy has said Epstein died by hanging.