Who were the guards on duty when Epstein died?
Two Bureau of Prisons officers were on duty in the unit where Epstein was held on the night he died: Tova Noel and Michael Thomas.
What They Did: Both guards were charged in November 2021 with falsifying federal prison records. Prosecutors alleged that on the night of August 9–10, 2019, Noel and Thomas:
- Failed to check on Epstein every 30 minutes as required
- Instead browsed the internet and slept for hours
- Falsified log entries to make it appear they had conducted required checks
The Charges: They were charged with conspiracy to defraud the government and making false records. The charges were federal felonies. Both pleaded not guilty.
Deferred Prosecution: In May 2021, prosecutors agreed to defer prosecution, meaning charges would be dropped if the guards completed community service, cooperated with the investigation, and stayed out of trouble. As a result, no trial was held and neither served prison time.
The Night in Question: Epstein had been taken off suicide watch weeks before his death, despite a prior apparent suicide attempt. He was placed in a cell alone — after his cellmate was moved — in violation of standard protocol that required checking on him. The combination of these failures created conditions in which Epstein was unsupervised for several hours.
Controversy: Critics argued the deferred prosecution was too lenient given that a high-profile federal detainee died under their watch. Others argued the guards were low-level employees bearing disproportionate blame for systemic failures in BOP management of MCC.