Two prison guards who were responsible for checking on Jeffrey Epstein in his cell are expected to be charged.
The two Federal Bureau of Prisons employees were responsible for guarding Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York on the night of his death.
The 66-year-old, who was a convicted sex offender, took his own life on August 10 while awaiting trial on charges of sexually abusing teenage girls.
Epstein had been put on suicide watch in July after he was found on his cell floor with bruises on his neck, though he was taken off it about a week before his death. As a result he was monitored less closely in the days leading to his suicide, though he was still supposed to be checked on every half hour.
The two officers assigned to watch Epstein are suspected of failing to check on him as required. They have also been accused of fabricating log entries to claim they continued regular checks.
People involved in the case told The New York Times the two officers are expected to be charged over their alleged failure in the US District Court in Manhattan later today, November 19.
The pending charges are the first in connection with Epstein’s death.
Both guards had been working overtime as a result of staffing shortages when Epstein was found dead, and investigators believe the sex offender hadn’t been checked on for several hours before his body was discovered.
The officers were placed on administrative leave following Epstein’s death while the FBI and the Justice Department’s inspector general investigated the circumstances. The warden of the Metropolitan Correctional Center was also reassigned.
Earlier this week, sources told the Associated Press federal prosecutors offered plea deals to the two officers but they declined. As part of the deals, authorities wanted the correction officers to admit they’d fabricated the log entries.
Though a medical examiner ruled Epstein’s death a suicide, numerous conspiracy theories have popped up about how he died.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 (12-2:30 and 7-9:30). Alternatively you can contact Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111.
Male Survivors Partnership is available to support adult male survivors of sexual abuse and rape. You can contact the organisation on its website or on its helpline – 0808 800 5005.
Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.