Indictment Against Epstein’s Guards Reveals They Were Allegedly Napping, Shopping Online During His Death
The entire night security cameras showed that nobody entered the wing where Jeffrey Epstein had been left alone in his cell, the indictment said, despite requirements to make rounds to check on prisoners every 30 minutes. Epstein's suicide has put a spotlight on issues with quality and safety measures within the federal prison system.
The New York Times:
Guards Accused Of Napping And Shopping Online The Night Epstein Died
The night that Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself in a Manhattan jail, one of the guards on duty was catching up on sports news and looking at motorcycle sales on a government computer. The other spent time shopping online for furniture. For about two hours, they appeared to be asleep at a desk just 15 feet away from Mr. Epstein’s cell. Those details were revealed in an indictment unsealed on Tuesday against the two jail employees. The indictment said neither guard made the required rounds every 30 minutes to check on inmates. Yet they filed paperwork claiming they had. (Gold, Ivory and Hong, 11/19)
The Associated Press:
As Epstein Died, Guards Allegedly Shopped Online And Slept
The indictment, leaning in part on images from security cameras on the cell block, also contains new details reinforcing the idea that, for all the intrigue regarding Epstein and his connections to powerful people, his death was a suicide and possibly preventable. “The defendants had a duty to ensure the safety and security of federal inmates in their care at the Metropolitan Correctional Center,” U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said. “Instead, they repeatedly failed to conduct mandated checks on inmates, and lied on official forms to hide their dereliction.” (11/19)
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