The decision will not calm doubts and conspiracy theories about the death of Jeffrey Epstein, found hanged in his cell on the morning of August 10, 2019, a few days before his trial for sex crimes. The autopsy had then concluded to a suicide by hanging. In a court order from Manhattan federal court, released Thursday, prosecutor Damian Williams signed “the dropout” against Tova Noel and Michael Thomas. The two guards were accused of not having made their rounds of surveillance on the night of August 9 to 10, 2019 and of having remained at their office, riveted on the internet.
The then American Minister of Justice, William Barr, had denounced “serious” dysfunctions in this reputedly safe prison, where Epstein had been held since his arrest in July 2019 and prosecuted for sex crimes, in particular against young girls. The arrest of the multimillionaire financier of the American jet set had sparked a global scandal, exposing a prostitution ring which would have benefited many wealthy and powerful men on the international scene. Prince Andrew, son of Elizabeth II, is notably cited in the case.
Forged documents
The dropping of the charges against the two guards coincides with the judgment of the ex-girlfriend of the financier, Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted of a series of sex crimes, in particular the most serious: the trafficking of young underage girls between 1994 and 2004, for the benefit of Epstein. More disturbingly, in his filing order, the Manhattan district attorney recalls and acknowledges that the two guards had “willfully” and “knowingly” falsified “documents” to make it appear that they had done their rounds that night. .
At the time, the director of the prison, the Metropolitan Correctional Center, had been transferred and the two officers suspended. As part of their agreement with justice, Tova Noel and Michael Thomas were simply forced to do community service, according to the ordinance.