Tova Noel: Guard who found Epstein dead in cell received mystery payments

A prison officer who discovered Jeffrey Epstein unresponsive in his cell searched for information about the disgraced financier online just minutes before finding his body while delivering breakfast, newly released records show.

Tova Noel was one of two staff members on duty at Metropolitan Correctional Center the night before Epstein’s death. She and colleague Michael Thomas were later charged with falsifying records to indicate they had conducted required inmate checks. The charges were ultimately dropped after both agreed to complete 100 hours of community service and cooperate with a U.S. Department of Justice investigation.

Documents show Noel searched “latest on Epstein in jail” less than an hour before Jeffrey Epstein died in August 2019. Her browsing history indicates she viewed an article about legal documents involving Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and also looked up updates on Omar Amanat, who was incarcerated at the same facility.

Investigators said Noel was scheduled to check on Epstein every 30 minutes but instead slept during parts of her shift and shopped online. Thomas reportedly spent time browsing motorbikes.

Separate financial records show Noel received seven cash deposits totaling more than $11,000 between December 2018 and mid-2019. Twelve transactions were flagged as suspicious by JPMorgan Chase in a report later provided to the FBI, according to reports. The largest deposit — $5,000 — was made on July 30, 2019. Files indicate she was not questioned about the payments during a 2021 Justice Department interview.

An FBI document also suggested Noel was likely the unidentified “orange shape” captured on CCTV footage near Epstein’s cell late the night before his death.

Noel told investigators she did not recall searching for Epstein online and denied bringing extra linens or clothing to the Special Housing Unit where he was held. She also said she did not know why additional sheets were found in his cell.

A 2023 Justice Department review found no evidence of homicide but cited significant negligence and procedural failures by prison staff.

At approximately 6:30 a.m. on August 10, 2019, Noel and Thomas were conducting the morning inmate count when they found Epstein unresponsive in his cell. They initiated emergency procedures and attempted resuscitation before he was transported to a hospital.