The US government dropped the prosecution of two guards at the facility where financier Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide, said Reuters.
The dismissal request comes just one day after Epstein accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of helping to traffic young girls for sex with older men.
Guards “Noel and Thomas were accused of falling asleep and surfing the internet that night rather than checking on Epstein every 30 minutes,” according to Reuters. “Both admitted to having ‘willfully and knowingly’ falsified records to make it seem they were monitoring Epstein properly.”
Prosecutors dropped their case against Jeffrey Epstein’s jail guards two weeks ago, in the middle of Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial.
The decision wasn’t made public until today.https://t.co/EGTt3Pozky
— Jacob Shamsian (@JayShams) December 30, 2021
Epstein officially died from suicide when he was found hanging in his cell while in federal custody under a suicide watch, said the New York Post.
“The multimillionaire was awaiting trial on federal charges accusing him of operating a sex trafficking ring from 2002 to 2005 at his Manhattan mansion and his Palm Beach estate, and allegedly paying girls as young as 14 for sex. He had pleaded not guilty,” said CNN.
A federal judge still has to approve the request to dismiss the charges by the prosecution.
Because of Epstein’s extensive fraternization with high-profile politicians and celebrities such as Bill Clinton, Terry McAuliffe, Prince Andrew and Bill Gates, his suspicious death by alleged suicide was shrouded in controversy and conspiracy, with some claiming the death was actually a hit job to silence Epstein.
The latest development in the wake of Maxwell’s conviction, the dropped cases of the prison guards could fuel old fires.
The guards were required to complete 100 hours community service and to cooperate with the federal probe into Epstein death according to the Post.
“Under the agreements, prosecution was deferred for a period of six months during the term of Noel’s and Thomas’s good behavior, completion of community service, and satisfactory compliance with the terms of the agreement,” the court document says, reported CNN.
According to CNN, the guards admitted that they spent their time shopping online and falsified records that they checked up on Epstein during the required times in order to avoid responsibility for his death.
“Thomas’ lawyer Montell Figgins said his client is pleased with the dismissal and is happy to put the incident behind him,” said the Post.
