At least one federal prison worker on duty the night before Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his prison cell was offered a plea deal in connection with the multimillionaire’s death, two sources familiar with the case said.
The initial plea offer made by prosecutors is considered an initial step in negotiations between prosecutors and attorneys representing federal workers at the New York facility where Epstein was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, one source said. Negotiations with prosecutors are ongoing.
Epstein, 66, was in a lone cell in the special housing unit of the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York when he was found dead in August.
At the time, The New York Times reported that the two prison staff members who’d been guarding the unit where Epstein died by apparent suicide failed to check on him that night for about three hours.
Guards are supposed to check on detainees in the special housing unit every 30 minutes, a source with knowledge of Epstein’s time at the prison previously told CNN. – read more