New Department of Justice documents have pulled back the curtain on the suspicious behavior of the guards tasked with watching Jeffrey Epstein the night he died.
Tova Noel, one of the two Metropolitan Correctional Center workers previously accused of falsifying records, is back in the spotlight after forensic files revealed she was Googling the high-profile inmate just minutes before he was found dead.
According to FBI records, Noel searched for “latest on Epstein in jail” twice, once at 5:42 a.m. and again at 5:52 a.m. This was less than 40 minutes before her partner, Michael Thomas, discovered Epstein hanging in his cell at 6:30 a.m. While these searches were happening, prosecutors say the duo was neglecting their mandatory 30 minute checks to shop for furniture and motorcycles online.
When confronted with this digital trail during a 2021 sworn statement, Noel denied it entirely, claiming, “I don’t remember doing that,” and suggesting the FBI’s records were inaccurate.
“I’ve never worked in the Special Housing Unit and actually done rounds every 30 minutes,” Noel told investigators, essentially alleging that negligence and falsifying logs were standard procedure at the Manhattan federal lockup.
The documents also highlight a “suspicious activity report” from Chase Bank regarding Noel’s finances. Between April 2018 and July 2019, Noel made a series of cash deposits, the largest of which a $5,000 sum was handed over just ten days before Epstein’s death. Despite driving a $62,000 Range Rover and making nearly $12,000 in unexplained cash deposits while working in the unit where Epstein was held, records show investigators never questioned her about the money during her DOJ interview.
Perhaps most chilling is the FBI’s breakdown of the infamous “orange blob” seen on blurry surveillance footage. For years, conspiracy theorists have debated the identity of a figure seen near Epstein’s cell at 10:40 p.m. The new files reveal the agency believes that figure was Noel carrying linen or clothing. Epstein ultimately used orange cloth to take his own life, yet Noel testified she “never gave out linen—ever.” When asked point-blank if she had any hand in the financier’s death, her answer remained a simple “no.”
