Federal prosecutors have asked for the case against two prison guards who admitted to falsifying records the night Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide on their watch to be ended, saying the guards complied with the terms of their deferred prosecution agreement.
A judge must now officially dismiss the case after the prosecutors’ request, which was filed Thursday, the day after Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty on five counts in her sex trafficking trial. The document is dated Dec. 13, 2021.
Tova Noel and Michael Thomas are accused of sleeping on the job, sitting at their desks and browsing the internet instead of conducting checks every 30 minutes as Epstein awaited trial for sex trafficking at the Manhattan Correctional Center. The American millionaire had been on suicide watch the month before he died, according to Reuters.
Epstein was found dead on Aug. 10, 2019, and New York City’s medical examiner ruled it a suicide.
In May 2021, Noel and Thomas admitted to signing false records to make it seem like they were checking on Epstein properly in an agreement that would avoid them going to trial. They were required to complete 100 hours of community service and cooperate with the Epstein investigation.
Thomas’ lawyer said his client was looking forward to putting the matter behind him, Reuters reported.
Noel’s attorney said at the time of the agreement in May that Noel was “extremely grateful.”
“Securing a resolution that eliminates both imprisonment and a criminal conviction is the favorable outcome that Ms. Noel prayed for since her arrest,” Jason Foy said.
While the case looks to be over for the prison guards, there are more trials to come for people accused of colluding with Epstein.
Some of Epstein’s accusers expressed relief over Maxwell’s guilty verdict Wednesday but vowed that the repercussions for those involved in Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring aren’t over yet.
“I’m very happy. I’m still very shaken. I think it takes time to heal, and this justice is part of the process,” said Virginia Giuffre, who said she was forced to have sex with Epstein and others, including Prince Andrew. “Now I can start really working past Maxwell and thinking about the others who need to be held accountable.”