Ex-MCC Guard Tova Noel to Testify in House Oversight Probe of Epstein Death

A former prison guard who was on duty when convicted offender Jeffrey Epstein died in a federal jail in 2019 is set to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Monday. Tova Noel, who worked at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, will appear for a closed-door deposition as lawmakers continue to examine the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death.

Epstein was found dead in his prison cell on August 10, 2019. The New York City medical examiner ruled the death a suicide. Noel has previously told federal investigators she believes she was the last person to see Epstein alive the night before he was discovered. She and another officer, Michael Thomas, were assigned to monitor Epstein in the Special Housing Unit, where guards were required to conduct checks every 30 minutes.

Federal prosecutors charged both officers in 2019 with falsifying prison records, alleging they claimed to have performed mandatory checks that were not completed. Authorities said the officers spent parts of the night sleeping and browsing the internet instead of monitoring inmates. The charges were dropped in 2021 after Noel and Thomas reached agreements with prosecutors that included...