Two jail guards were shopping online or sleeping when Jeffrey Epstein took his own life in his Manhattan jail cell in August.
Tova Noel, 31, and Michael Thomas, 41, who are Black, were arrested early Tuesday after they admitted to investigators that they did not check on the millionaire pedophile in his jail cell for several hours because they were on the Internet.
According to an indictment obtained by Dailymail.com, Noel and Thomas were surfing the internet or fell asleep instead of performing mandatory checks on Epstein’s cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on August 10.
The two jail guards are also suspected of fabricating log entries to say they had checked on the high-profile inmate. Epstein’s jail cell was only 15 feet away from the officers.
The two federal Bureau of Prisons employees were formerly arraigned in a Manhattan court for falsifying records and conspiracy in relation to Epstein’s death.
The two disgraced officers looked somber as they faced a judge during their arraignment.
As they were being arraigned, their fellow Black guards formed a blockade with their cars around the courthouse in support of the disgraced officers.
Epstein was in jail awaiting a hearing on multiple counts of felony child molestation and human trafficking.
He was placed on suicide watch after he attempted to hang himself on July 23. He was found unconscious on his cell floor with bruises on his neck.
Epstein was taken off suicide watch about a week before his death, but guards were still required to check on him every 30 minutes because he was still considered at risk for self harm.
