Newly released Justice Department documents show that one of Jeffrey Epstein’s prison guards, Tova Noel, sought information about the disgraced financier just minutes before he was found dead in his prison cell.
According to FBI records cited in documents reviewed by The New York Post, Tova Noel — one of two Metropolitan Correctional Center guards on duty the night of Epstein’s death — searched for her corrections officer Michael at 5:42 a.m. and again at 5:52 a.m. on Aug. 10, 2019, less than 40 minutes before Epstein died. at 6:30 in the morning
Alleged negligence in duty
Prosecutors say Noel shopped for furniture online and took a nap during her shift, neglecting Epstein’s required 30-minute checks. Thomas was allegedly looking at motorbikes during the same period. A 66-page forensic review of FBI surveillance computers highlighted Noel’s Internet searches as particularly significant.
During her interview with the DOJ in 2021, Noel denied Googling Epstein, saying she “didn’t remember” and questioned the accuracy of the FBI records.
Suspicious cash deposits
DOJ files also revealed that Chase Bank flagged a $5,000 cash deposit made by Noel on July 30, 2019, just days before Epstein’s death. There have been a total of seven deposits totaling $11,880 in her account since April 2018. Noel started working in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) where Epstein was on July 7, 2019.
Noel, who was driving a $62,000 Land Rover, was said not to have been questioned about the deposits during her interview with the DOJ.
Blurry tracking shots
FBI briefings suggest Noel may be the “mysterious orange figure” seen near Epstein’s cell at 10:40 p.m. the night he died, carrying inmates’ laundry or clothing to the SHU level. The same report said that was the last time any correctional officer approached the single entrance to Epstein’s floor.
In affidavits, Noel claimed she never handled prison linen and last saw Epstein alive “sometime around 10:00 p.m.” The other guard on duty was said to have slept between 10pm and midnight.
Criminal charges dropped
Noel and Thomas were released after falsifying records of Epstein’s checks, but criminal charges against both guards were later dropped. Noel has since been sued in Westchester County for alleged assault in her current role as a medical office assistant.
Epstein’s death remains under scrutiny
The new DOJ documents mark the first time a name has been publicly linked to the mysterious orange figure in the surveillance footage, which has long fueled conspiracies surrounding Epstein’s death.
Noel denies involvement in Epstein’s suicide during her sworn statement.
