Overview
- FBI forensic logs show correctional officer Tova Noel searched “latest on Epstein in jail” at 5:42 a.m. and 5:52 a.m. on Aug. 10, 2019, before colleague Michael Thomas found Epstein unresponsive around 6:30 a.m.
- An internal FBI briefing names Noel as the officer believed to appear in a 10:40 p.m. surveillance clip carrying linen or inmate clothing toward Epstein’s tier, the last recorded approach to the SHU entrance that night.
- Bank records in the DOJ release include a Chase suspicious activity report noting 12 cash deposits to Noel’s account starting in 2018, with a $5,000 deposit on July 30, 2019; available statements from December 2018 show seven deposits totaling $11,880.
- Noel denied making the Epstein-related searches in a 2021 sworn interview and said FBI records were inaccurate, while also disputing that she issued linens during the shift.
- Investigators previously alleged Noel and Thomas skipped required checks and falsified logs; both were fired and saw charges dropped, and separate DOJ OIG findings reported severe lapses but no evidence of homicide, though an inmate’s uncorroborated notes claimed talk of a cover-up.