The guards at the prison where Jeffrey Epstein apparently killed himself fell asleep and failed to check on the convicted sex offender for three hours.
Three law enforcement and prison officials told the New York Times that two staff members in the unit where Epstein was being held after his arrest were sleeping for some or all of the three hours they failed to check on the financier.
They then falsified reports to cover up the lapse. Falsifying the records could be a federal crime.
Epstein, 66, was awaiting trial on charges he sexually abused underage girls when he apparently hanged himself with a bedsheet in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. His body was found Saturday morning.
Two employees have been placed on administrative leave and the warden of the prison has been temporarily reassigned during an investigation into Epstein’s death.
Attorney General William Barr ordered the Justice Department’s inspector general to look into how Epstein was able to kill himself while in custody and why he was taken off suicide watch nearly two weeks earlier.
Epstein apparently tried to kill himself on July 23 after he was denied bail. Days later, he was removed from suicide watch and put back in his cell with another inmate. His cellmate was later transferred out the cell and Epstein was alone Friday night.
