Fresh documents from the US Department of Justice have revealed that the final prison guard believed to have seen Jeffrey Epstein alive made a series of suspicious cash deposits in the year leading up to his death.
Epstein was discovered unresponsive inside his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York on August 10, 2019. His death was officially ruled a suicide.
Newly disclosed records show that correctional officer Tova Noel, 37, made a cash deposit of $5,000 (£3,729) into her bank account on July 30 — less than two weeks before Epstein was found dead.
The payment was one of 12 ATM deposits flagged by her bank as unusual. The transactions, which began in October 2018, were reported to the FBI in a “suspicious activity report” submitted in November 2019.
Noel was one of two officers accused of falsifying prison logs to claim they had carried out routine checks on Epstein on the night he died.
She and fellow officer Michael Thomas were later dismissed from their jobs after it emerged that Epstein had not been checked on for hours.
CCTV footage showed that neither guard inspected the prisoner for around eight hours despite Epstein’s cell being only 15 feet from their desk.
Although both officers were initially charged over the alleged falsification of records, the criminal case against them was later dropped.
The bank deposits form part of a new batch of documents released from the so-called Epstein files that continue to raise questions about the circumstances surrounding his death.
The files also reveal that Noel searched online for news about Epstein shortly before his body was discovered.
Records show she Googled the phrase “latest on Epstein in jail” at 5.42am and again at 5.52am.
Less than 40 minutes later, at around 6.30am, Thomas discovered the disgraced financier dead inside his cell.
The internet searches were highlighted in a 66-page forensic report produced by the FBI examining the two guards’ prison computer activity.
It was the only search specifically flagged by investigators.
During sworn testimony given to the Department of Justice in 2021, Noel denied making the search.
“I don’t remember doing that,” she claimed, suggesting that an article about Epstein may have automatically appeared in her browser instead.
When investigators showed her the search records, she insisted they were inaccurate.
She was not questioned under oath about the bank deposits highlighted in the suspicious activity report.
Epstein had returned to his prison unit on the evening of August 9, 2019 after meeting his lawyer and was escorted to his cell by Noel and another officer.
Later footage showed the guards failed to perform a scheduled prisoner count at 10pm, yet signed a form stating the check had taken place.
A 2023 inspector general report from the Justice Department later identified Noel as a blurred orange figure captured on surveillance video near Epstein’s cell at around 10.40pm on the night he died.
According to the report, the footage showed “a CO [correctional officer], believed to be Tova Noel, carried linen or inmate clothing” to Epstein’s tier.
Investigators said this moment marked the “last time any CO [correctional officer] approached the only entrance to the SHU tier”.
In her sworn testimony Noel said the last time she saw Epstein alive was “somewhere around after 10”.
She also told investigators she “never gave out linen” because bedding had already been issued during the previous shift.
She said she did not know why Epstein had additional linen inside his cell.
Court filings revealed that the other guard on duty had been asleep between 10pm and midnight.
Further material released by the Department of Justice includes FBI notes from an interview with an unnamed inmate who claimed prison staff discussed covering up Epstein’s death on the morning he died.
A handwritten five-page report records the inmate saying he woke to commotion inside the special housing unit where Epstein was being held.
The prisoner said he heard officers shouting “Breathe! Breathe!” at around 6.30am.
While breakfast was later being served, the inmate claimed he overheard someone say: “you killed that dude”.
He added that the remark could be heard across the wing.
According to the FBI notes, a female officer then responded: “If he is dead we’re going to cover it up and he’s going to have an alibi – my officers.”
The inmate also told investigators that other prisoners later said: “Miss Noel killed Jeffrey.”
When questioned under oath about whether she had any involvement in Epstein’s death, Noel replied: “No.”
