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Report: Epstein Guards Were Asleep On The Job

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The prison guards who were supposed to check on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in his jail cell every 30 minutes reportedly fell asleep on the morning he killed himself, law enforcement officials told The New York Times.

The Metropolitan Correctional Center staffers who were assigned to check in on Epstein apparently fell asleep on the job and lied to cover their mistake, The New York Times reported Tuesday citing several law enforcement and prison officials with knowledge of the incident.

Surveillance video proves that the guards falsely logged 30-minute check-in increments, as they were required to, according to a Wednesday report by the Associated Press, citing an anonymous person who was not authorized to disclose information about the case.

#EpsteinSuicide:

At MCC:
– guards slept
– falsified logs
– cameras not working
– Epstein commit suicide despite the MCC was not suppose to have any means with which he would kill himself. #Intentional or Gross #Negligence?

What do you think?https://t.co/JEYwhrX6Jg

— Sara A. Carter (@SaraCarterDC) August 14, 2019

The Washington Post first reported that the guards were working overtime and failed to meet the check-in requirements that were put in place after Epstein was taken off suicide watch for attempting to hang himself weeks ago.

Both staffers have since been put on leave, and the warden of the correctional facility was reassigned. 

Epstein, who was facing up to 45 years in prison on sex-trafficking charges, was found unconscious on the morning of Aug. 10 in his jail cell. He was pronounced dead that morning after apparently hanging himself with a bedsheet, AP reported.

An autopsy report of his body by New York City chief medical examiner Barbara Sampson was concluded on Aug. 11, but Sampson and her office have yet to officially determine his cause of death.

The Justice Department and the FBI are looking into his death, Attorney General William Barr announced Saturday.