Mega Edition: The OIG Report Into The Death And Circumstances Of Epstein's Death (Part 3) (11/24/25)
November 25, 2025 • 29 mins
The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report into Jeffrey Epstein’s death delivers a blistering indictment of systemic failures at the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and his holding facility. It documents a litany of procedural violations: Epstein’s cellmate was removed and never replaced despite explicit policy, surveillance cameras in his unit were malfunctioning or not recording, and the staff responsible for required 30-minute checks on Epstein didn’t perform them. Instead, employees falsified records indicating those rounds were completed, and in reality Epstein was alone and unchecked for hours before his death. These aren’t isolated mistakes—they’re classic symptoms of institutional collapse and neglect at a time when every safeguard should have been activated.
Beyond the immediate night of his death, the report underscores a deeper rot: long-standing staffing shortages, indifferent supervision, and a culture that tolerated policy breaches without accountability. The OIG identifies that the same deficiencies had been raised in prior reports about the BOP, yet were never effectively addressed. By allowing one of the most high-profile detainees in the nation to slip through the cracks under such glaring conditions, the BOP didn’t just fail Epstein—they failed the public trust and all the victims who sought justice.
to contact me:
bobbycapucci@protonmail.com
source:
2 3 - 0 8 5 (justice.gov)
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.
Beyond the immediate night of his death, the report underscores a deeper rot: long-standing staffing shortages, indifferent supervision, and a culture that tolerated policy breaches without accountability. The OIG identifies that the same deficiencies had been raised in prior reports about the BOP, yet were never effectively addressed. By allowing one of the most high-profile detainees in the nation to slip through the cracks under such glaring conditions, the BOP didn’t just fail Epstein—they failed the public trust and all the victims who sought justice.
to contact me:
bobbycapucci@protonmail.com
source:
2 3 - 0 8 5 (justice.gov)
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Eighty plus. Up, everyone, and welcome back to the Epstein Chronicles.
In this episode, we're diving right back into that OIG
report detailing the circumstances surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein.
In our last episode, we finished off with chapter three,
which was the timeline and some key events, and in
(00:22):
this episode, we're going to begin chapter four, so let's
get right to it. Chapter four Custody and care of
Epstein prior to his death, Epstein's arrest and detention on
July sixth. On July second, twenty nineteen, a grand jury
of the US District Court for the Southern District of
(00:44):
New York returned to two count indictment that charged Epstein
with committing sex trafficking and the sex trafficking conspiracy in
violation of eighteen US Code Section three seventy one fifteen
ninety one AA B and two and two, based on
allegations that he sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls,
(01:08):
some as young as fourteen years old, at his homes
in New York and Florida. The indictment alleged that from
at least two thousand and two through two thousand and five,
Epstein enticed and recruited girls, many of whom he knew
were underage, to visit his homes and perform sex acts
in exchange for paying each girl hundreds of dollars in cash.
(01:32):
The indictment further alleged that Epstein, working with employees and associates,
created a vast network of underage victims to sexually exploit
in New York and Florida, by paying some victims hundreds
of dollars in cash each to recruit other minor girls
to also be abused by Epstein. In addition to the
(01:55):
two criminal charges, the indictment also contained forfeiture allegations, which
sought to forfeit to the United States any property that
was either used to commit or was a proceed of
the charge sex trafficking offense, including Epstein's New York residence.
On Saturday, July sixth, twenty nineteen, Epstein was arrested at
(02:19):
Teterborough Airport in New Jersey upon his return to the
United States from France. He was transported to the Metropolitan
Correctional Center located in New York, New York MCC, New York,
where he was initially placed in the general inmate population.
Mcc new York is a federal administrative detention facility operated
(02:42):
by the Federal Bureau of Prisons the BOP. The BOP
temporarily closed mcc new York in October of twenty twenty
one due to substandard conditions that are unrelated to this investigation.
When it was operational, mcc new York housed primarily trial
detainees who had not yet been convicted of any offense,
(03:04):
but whom the court had determined, under applicable law, should
remain in custody depending trial, either because they represent a
danger to the community, a substantial flight risk, or both
due to the significant media attention surrounding his arrest and
his notoriety among other mcc new York inmates. The following day,
(03:26):
Epstein was moved to mcc new York Special Housing Unit
or the Shoe, a housing unit within mcc new York
where inmates are securely separated from the general inmate population
and kept locked in their cells for approximately twenty three
hours per day to ensure their own safety as well
(03:46):
as the safety of staff and other inmates. On Monday,
July eighth, twenty nineteen, Epstein appeared in federal court and
pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court order that
Epstein remained in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for
July fifteenth of twenty nineteen. At the detention hearing, Epstein
(04:08):
sought to be placed in home detention at his New
York residence, with an electronic monitoring and other conditions. The
prosecutors sought to have Epstein detained at mcc New York
pending trial. The court reviewed the party's filings and heard
arguments on the matter of pre trial release on July
fifteenth of twenty nineteen. On July eighteenth of twenty nineteen,
(04:34):
the Court ordered that Epstein be detained pending trial. In
its ruling, the court noted that because Ebstein had been
indicted for a violation of the federal sex Trafficking Statute
that involved minor victims, there was a presumption in favor
of detention under federal law. The court found that the
(04:54):
United States had shown by clear and convincing evidence that
Epstein threatened the safety of another person and of the community,
based on testimony from two victims, the allegations of repeated
sexual abuse of minors, and the lewd photographs of young
looking women or girls that were found during an authorized
(05:16):
search of Epstein's New York residence in July of twenty nineteen.
The court also relied on the recommendation of US pre
trial services, the seriousness of the offenses with which Epstein
had been charged, evidence reflecting Epstein's harassment and intimidation of
and tampering with witnesses involved in a prior Florida State
(05:40):
criminal investigation, and Epstein's lack of compliance with his legal
obligations as a registered sex offender. The court found that
the United States had also shown by a preponderance of
the evidence that Epstein was a flight risk based on
the severity of the criminal charges and severity of the
(06:01):
potential punishment, the strength of the evidence against Epstein, and
Epstein's criminal history, sex offender registration, vast wealth and substantial
liquid assets, multiple residences of foreign residents, limited family ties
in the United States, private planes, extensive oversea travel, and
(06:22):
possession of a foreign passport bearing Epstein's photograph but not
his name. Finally, the court found that Epstein's pre trial
release proposal was inadequate because, among other things, it did
not contain sworn, accurate or comprehensive financial statements, it required
excessive court involvement in routine aspects of the proposed home confinement.
(06:47):
The proposed consent to extradition was unenforceable, and the proposed
appointments of a trustee to monitor Epstein's compliance with release
conditions was unacceptably vague and problematic due to the potential
conflict of interest presented by monitoring the conduct of a
person who paid the trustees' salary, and allegations Epstein engaged
(07:11):
in on lawful axe with his employees during the sex
trafficking conspiracy. Epstein appealed the court's order on July twenty
second of twenty nineteen. This appeal remained pending at the
time of Epstein's death. Section two MCC New York Special
(07:32):
Housing Unit. Epstein was initially assigned to MCC New York
General Inmate Population, but on July seventh, twenty nineteen, at
approximately seven to twenty pm, he was moved to the Shoe,
pending reclassification due to the significant increase in media coverage
and awareness of his notoriety among the other MCC New
(07:55):
York inmate residents. The Shoe is a housing unit within
the mcc C New York, where inmates are securely separated
from the general inmate population and kept locked in their
cells for approximately twenty three hours a day to ensure
their own safety as well as the safety of the
staff and other inmates. Inmates in the Shoe are either
(08:17):
on administrative detention or disciplinary segregation status. Administrative segregation status
is a non punitive designation that removes an inmate from
the general population when it's necessary to do so to
ensure the safety, security, and orderly operation of the correctional
(08:37):
facility or to protect the public. The mcc New York employee,
who is the Acting Evening Watch Activities Lieutenant, on August ninth,
twenty nineteen, told the Office of the Inspector General OIG
that most inmates housed in the Shoe are locked down
in their cells for most of the day. Other witnesses
(08:59):
told the OA that Shoe inmates are locked in their
cells for approximately twenty three hours per day. The Warden
of mcc New York during Epstein's period of detention at
that facility, along with the Associate Warden I and the
acting Evening Watch Activity As Lieutenant, explained that this was
(09:20):
one of the reasons that conducting rounds in the shoe
was so important. Unlike inmates in general population housing, shoe
inmates could not physically approach a staff member. Therefore, the
staff member had to go to each inmate's cell. Witnesses
told the OIG that Epstein's daily routine in the shoe
was to meet with his attorney in the attorney conference
(09:42):
room all day until approximately eight pm. MCC New York
attorney logs confirmed that Epstein had daily visits with attorneys
from several different law practices throughout the period of his
detention at MCC New York. This is consistent with the
en information available in century a BOP database that contains
(10:04):
information relating to the care classification, subsistence protection, discipline, and
programs of the Federal inmates, which indicates that Epstein had
one to two attorney visits on all but one day
he was detained at MCC New York. BOP emails reflect
(10:24):
that other attorneys expressed frustration to a supervisory staff attorney
with the goop's Consolidated Legal Center for New York because
attorneys had to wait hours or were unable to meet
with their clients because Epstein and his attorneys were occupying
the attorney conference room, even at times when Epstein had
(10:45):
to leave the conference room for a medical visit. At
MCC New York, the shoe was located on the south
side of the institution's ninth floor and was often referred
to as nine South. Primary access to the shoe was
controlled by a locked door main exterior entry door. That
door was opened remotely by a staff member in mcc
(11:09):
New York Centralized Control Center. Access into the shoe was
further controlled by a second lock door main interior entry door,
to which a limited number of correctional officers had keys
while on duty. Secondary access to the shoe was controlled
by a locked door. That door was opened remotely by
(11:30):
a staff member in the Centralized Control Center. Entry into
the shoe from the secondary access point was further controlled
by three additional locked doors, to which a limited number
of the CEOs had keys while on duty. The secondary
access doors were used only by staff when facilitating visits
between the shoe inmates and their outside visitors. Within the shoe,
(11:54):
inmates were assigned to six separate teers or groups of cells,
three of which were acces via stairs leading up from
the common area on the ninth floor upper tiers G,
J and L tiers and three of which were accessible
via stairs leading down from the common area on the
ninth floor, lower tiers H, K and M tiers Shooting
(12:18):
by Lot eight plus terns and conditions of fly se
website for details. The entrance to each tier could be
accessed only via a single locked door at the top
or bottom of the staircase leading to the individual tier.
A limited number of keys to open the locked tier
doors were available only to a limited number of cos
while on duty. Each tier had eight cells, each of
(12:41):
which could house either one or two inmates. Each individual cell,
which was made of cement and metal, could be accessed
only through a single locked door, to which only a
limited number of cos had keys while on duty. The
shoe cell doors were made of solid metal with a
lass window and small locked slots that correctional staff used
(13:05):
to handcuff inmates and provide food or toilet tries to
inmates as a further security measure. During each shift, the
keys to the shoe tier doors and shoe cell doors
were carried by different coos. As noted above, Inmates in
the shoe are securely separated from the general inmate population
(13:26):
and are kept locked in their cell when in their
assigned tier within the shoe. Witnesses told the OEG that
Shoe inmates are locked in their cells for approximately twenty
three hours a day. BOP policy provides that weather and
resources permitting, Shoe inmates will have the opportunity to exercise
(13:47):
outside of their quarters five hours per calendar a week.
Under federal regulations the BOP policy, Shoe inmates ordinarily have
the opportunity to shower at least three times a week,
tip on different days in one hour periods. Shoe inmates
may also be escorted from their cells by mcc New
(14:08):
York staff for visits, including legal visits, court appearances, medical
and psychological attention. The mcc new York Shoe post orders
require that all visitors to the Shoe be documented in
the Shoe Visitor Log, and that any inmate visiting the Shoe,
such as inmates on work details, be searched visually and
(14:31):
with a handheld metal detector without exception. The mcc new
York Shoe post Orders also requires that food carts be
searched inside and out before being brought into a Shoe
cell block, and that all meals be delivered through the
cell door food slot of the lock cell door. All right, folks,
(14:51):
this section is massive, so we're gonna break it down
into several parts. So we're gonna stop here, and then
in the next episode we're gonna pick up with section
three of chapter four. All of the information that goes
with this episode can be found in the description box.
What's up, everyone, and welcome back to the program. In
(15:12):
this episode, we're going to pick right back up where
we left off with the OIG report into the death
and circumstances surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein. In the
last episode, we were talking about Jeffrey Epstein's arrest and detention,
and now we're moving on to Jeffrey Epstein's initial cell
(15:32):
and cell mate assignment from July seventh to July twenty third.
According to the Warden, mcc new York typically housed inmates
in the shoe with the cellmate. Upon Epstein's initial transfer
to the Shoe on July seventh, twenty nineteen, he was
assigned to sell in the m tier of the Shoe
with inmate number one. The warden explained that Epstein was
(15:55):
a high profile inmate and that he initially selected inmate
one to be Epstein's cell mate because inmate one was
another high profile inmate and the warden believed in May
one to be the least likely Shoe inmate to harm Epstein.
Epstein and Inmate one were housed together in Cell Z
zero five Dash one twenty four. Section four Events of
(16:16):
July twenty third and placement of Epstein on suicide Watch
and psychological Observation from July twenty third to July thirtieth.
According to BOP documents, at approximately one twenty seven am
on July twenty third, twenty nineteen, Senior Officer Specialists one
in two heard noises coming from the M tier in
(16:38):
the Shoe, the tier where Epstein was housed. Senior Officer
Specialist II documented in a BOP report that upon checking
Cell Z zero five Dash one twenty four, he saw
Epstein laying down near his bunk with a piece of
handmade orange cloth around his neck, and Senior Officer Specialist
one wrote in a BOP report that epstein cell mate
(17:00):
inmate one said Epstein had attempted to hang himself. In
his interview with OIG, Senior Officer Specialist one said that
Inmate one who appeared shaken up, told him that he
had been asleep on the floor of the cell and
was awoken when he felt Epstein land on him. Senior
Officer Specialist IWO reported that after he had been alerted
(17:21):
by the noise, he grabbed the door keys, called the
control center for assistance, and then he and Senior Officer
Specialist one entered the cell, where they secured and removed
epstein cell mate. Senior Officer Specialist one reported that he
then re entered the cell, placed Epstein on his side,
and removed an orange homemade rope from his neck. In
(17:44):
his interview with OIG, Senior Officer Specialist one said Epstein
had a sheet around his neck, which was attached to
the bunk bed ladder in the cell. Senior Officer Specialist
one said Epstein was sitting on the floor of the
cell with his back against the bunk bed ladder. Senior
Officer Specialist one reports said that Epstein was breathing but unresponsive,
(18:06):
so he began chess compressions, at which time the morning
Watch Operations Lieutenant and other staff arrived. Senior Officer Specialist
one confirmed in his OIG interview that they started CPR,
but stop when they realized Epstein was already breathing. The
morning Watch Operations lieutenant documented in a BOP report that
(18:27):
when she arrived at the Shoe, she saw Epstein lying
in the fetal position in his cell, breathing heavily and snoring,
wearing only a T shirt and boxers. The Morning Watch
Operations lieutenant observed that Epstein's neck was red, but she
saw no further injuries. She called out to Epstein, who
flicked his eyes open and continued snoring. The CEOs unsuccessfully
(18:50):
tried to get Epstein to stand on his own and
then placed him on a stretcher and took him to
the Health Services unit. According to BP records, at approximately
Epstein was transferred out of the Shoe and placed on
suicide watch. As previously noted in Chapter two, inmates on
suicide watch are housed in dedicated room, typically in the
(19:13):
Health Services area, where they are continuously monitored by specially
trained staff or inmates. Senior Officer Specialist three documented in
a BOP report that when he and others responded to
the call for assistance and gained access to the Shoe,
he saw Epstein lying on the floor of his cell, snoring,
(19:34):
He and the other officers verbally instructed Epstein to stand up,
but Epstein did not. He and other officers then lifted
Epstein onto a stretcher to remove him from the cell.
Senior Officer Specialist four wrote in a BOP report that
he responded to a body alarm in the shoe and
helped remove Epstein from his cell, placed him on a stretcher,
(19:56):
and took him to the second floor for a medical assessment.
Senior Officer Specialist for further reported that while he was
observing Epstein in the Health Services Unit, Epstein told Senior
Officer Specialist four that he thought his cell mate had
tried to kill him. Epstein further stated that his cellmate
had tried to extort him and that for the last
(20:17):
week as cel Mat had threatened to beat him if
he did not pay him. Epstein told Senior Officer Specialist
four he had not reported this to mcc new York staff,
but that he had told his lawyers. The Morning Watch
Operations Lieutenant documented in a BOP report, when she returned
to the Health Services Unit, Senior Officer Specialist four informed
(20:38):
her that Epstein had said his cell mate had tried
to kill Epstein and been harassing him. The Morning Watch
Operations lieutenant then spoke to his cellmate in mat One,
who said he was wearing headphones and was asleep when
he felt something hit his legs. Inmate once said he
called out to Epstein, and when Epstein did not answer,
he got up, turned on the light and saw Epstein
(20:58):
sitting on the floor to the side with a string
around his neck. In May One told the Morning Watch
Operations lieutenant that he then called the guards. In May
One provided a similar statement to BP officials at approximately
two fifty pm on July twenty third, twenty nineteen. The
Morning Watch Operations lieutenant report notes that she also spoke
(21:21):
with Epstein, who told her that he had returned to
his cell after an attorney visit at approximately eight pm
the previous day, at which time his cellmate was reading
the Daily News newspaper. Epstein said his cellmate turned to
a page of the newspaper that had Epstein's picture and
reported that Epstein was worth seventy seven million. Epstein told
(21:42):
the Morning Watch Operations lieutenant that he looked at the picture,
balled it up, threw it in the garbage. Epstein further
stated that he woke up at approximately one am to
get a drink of water, returned to his bunk, and
the next thing he remembered was that he was snoring
and mcc new york staff were inside his cell. When
asked about the allegations against his cell mate, Epstein said
(22:03):
he had been told that if his cell mat heard him,
mcc new york staff would not care. Inmate two, who
was housed in the same shoe tier as Epstein on
July twenty third, told the FBI about the incident that
occurred in the shoe around one twenty am to one
thirty am on an unspecified date. In May two said
he was reading a book when he heard an inmate
(22:25):
scream and bang on the cell door to get the
shoe officer's attention. In May two said he could only
see the cell door and not inside. According to inmate two,
senior officers Specialist too responded on the cell and then
left and returned with additional officers. The FBI was further
told by inmate two that the officers opened the cell door,
(22:46):
removed an inmate, placed the inmate in handcuffs, and put
the inmate in the shower area. Inmate two stated that
the officers re entered the cell and in May two
heard a thump as if something had hit the floor.
The officers then pulled the other inmate out of the cell,
placed them on a stretcher, and took them away. In
May two also told the FBI that later in the evening,
(23:09):
around two ten to two fifteen am, the CEO's return
to the cell where the incident had occurred earlier. He
said he further observed the officers clean out the cell
and use a video camera to record the inside of
the cell. In May two said he saw the officers
remove from the cell orange clothing items that had been
tied together. In May two also said that the first
(23:32):
inmate to be removed from the cell later told in
May two he was sleeping when his cell mate had
tried to kill himself by hanging himself from the ladder
of the bed. According to BP records, medical staff evaluated
Epstein at approximately six twenty am on July twenty third,
twenty nineteen, and observed friction marks and superficial reddening of
(23:55):
his neck and one knee. The red mark spanned two
thirds of Epstein's neck, front and side and was two
inches wide. Epstein told the medical staff that he did
not know what had caused his injuries, and that he
went to drink a little water and woke up snoring.
After that morning, mcc new York staff psychologists conducted a
suicide risk assessment and determined that Epstein should remain on
(24:18):
suicide watch. During the assessment, Epstein denied any knowledge of
how he sustained the marks on his neck. The staff
psychologists noted in the assessment report that it was unclear
whether Epstein had placed the string around his neck or
if someone else did. Medical staff examined Epstein had approximately
one o eight pm the following day, July twenty fourth,
(24:40):
twenty nineteen, and observed that the central part of the
red mark on Epstein's neck had some abrasion. According to
BP records, Epstein told the medical staff that he did
not want to talk about how he sustained the injuries,
but he believed his cellmate had something to do with it.
BOP's Special Investigative Services opened an investigation into this incident,
(25:03):
but was unable to determine whether Epstein harmed himself or
had been assaulted. On July twenty fourth, twenty nineteen, at
approximately eight forty five am Epstein was removed from suicide Watch. However,
Epstein remained in the same cell that he was placed
in the previous day and was under psychological observation until
July thirtieth, twenty nineteen. The MCC New York Chief Psychologist
(25:27):
told the OIG an inmate is placed on suicide watch
when the inmate is believed to be eminently suicidal. During
suicide watch, the inmate is under constant observation by staff.
The cell lights are on twenty four hours a day,
and the inmate is given a special mattress, blanket, and
smock to wear. The Chief Psychologists explained that although psychological
(25:49):
observation is in a lower class at MCC New York,
the psychological observations were the same as suicide Watch, except
that inmates were allowed to have their clothes and some
materials such as books as determined by the psychology department.
At MCC New York, psychological observation was used to see
how inmates were doing before releasing the inmate into a
(26:13):
housing unit. The chief Psychologists told the OIG that the
psychology department independently makes the decision who goes on and
off suicide Watch. The Chief psychologists also stated that the
psychology department makes recommendations to the institution's management about where
inmates are housed when they come off of suicide watch.
(26:35):
According to her, the psychology Department always recommends that inmates
coming off of suicide watch be housed with other inmates. However,
she said the recommendations cannot always be carried out due
to other security factors. When that occurs, the Psychology Department
recommends conducting increased rounds and keeping an eye on those inmates.
(26:56):
The chief Psychologists further told the OIG, based on a
conversation with the BOP's National Suicide Prevention Coordinator from the
BP Central Office, she passed along to the mcc new
York executive staff the recommendation that Epstein be housed with
an alleged sex offender in the shoe. The chief psychologist
(27:16):
stated that the mcc new York warden and associate wardens
decided who Epstein would be housed with, and the psychology
Department was not involved in that decision, according to BP records,
as a result of the July twenty third incident, mcc
new York subsequently conducted disciplinary proceedings against Ebstein for alleged
(27:37):
self mutilation, but ultimately found that there was insufficient evidence
to find that Epstein engaged in a prohibited act. When
Epstein was psychologically evaluated on July thirtieth, twenty nineteen, in
connection with disciplinary proceedings, Epstein said he did not remember
how he obtained the marks around his neck. On August two,
(27:58):
twenty nineteen, the SIS investigation into the July twenty third,
twenty nineteen incident was completed and found insufficient evidence to
support either that Epstein had harmed himself or that he
had been harmed by his cell mate. Senior Officer Specialist
one told the OIG that after Epstein came off suicide Watch,
(28:19):
Epstein asked if he could be paired up within Maate
one again. Senior Officer Specialist one told Epstein that this
request was something he would need to raise with the
operations Lieutenant. Senior Officer Specialist one told the OIG that
Epstein replied, yeah, but I don't understand. You know, we
were bunkies. Everything was cool. The chief Psychologists also told
(28:40):
the OIG that Epstein mentioned to her that he wanted
Inmate one to continue to be his cell mate. All right, folks,
we're gonna wrap this portion up right here, and we're
gonna pick up in the next episode with section five,
and that is the psychology departments post July twenty third
to determination that Epstein needed to have an appropriate cell mate.
(29:04):
All of the information that goes with this episode can
be found in the description box.
Eighty plus. Up, everyone, and welcome back to the Epstein Chronicles.
In this episode, we're diving right back into that OIG
report detailing the circumstances surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein.
In our last episode, we finished off with chapter three,
which was the timeline and some key events, and in
(00:22):
this episode, we're going to begin chapter four, so let's
get right to it. Chapter four Custody and care of
Epstein prior to his death, Epstein's arrest and detention on
July sixth. On July second, twenty nineteen, a grand jury
of the US District Court for the Southern District of
(00:44):
New York returned to two count indictment that charged Epstein
with committing sex trafficking and the sex trafficking conspiracy in
violation of eighteen US Code Section three seventy one fifteen
ninety one AA B and two and two, based on
allegations that he sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls,
(01:08):
some as young as fourteen years old, at his homes
in New York and Florida. The indictment alleged that from
at least two thousand and two through two thousand and five,
Epstein enticed and recruited girls, many of whom he knew
were underage, to visit his homes and perform sex acts
in exchange for paying each girl hundreds of dollars in cash.
(01:32):
The indictment further alleged that Epstein, working with employees and associates,
created a vast network of underage victims to sexually exploit
in New York and Florida, by paying some victims hundreds
of dollars in cash each to recruit other minor girls
to also be abused by Epstein. In addition to the
(01:55):
two criminal charges, the indictment also contained forfeiture allegations, which
sought to forfeit to the United States any property that
was either used to commit or was a proceed of
the charge sex trafficking offense, including Epstein's New York residence.
On Saturday, July sixth, twenty nineteen, Epstein was arrested at
(02:19):
Teterborough Airport in New Jersey upon his return to the
United States from France. He was transported to the Metropolitan
Correctional Center located in New York, New York MCC, New York,
where he was initially placed in the general inmate population.
Mcc new York is a federal administrative detention facility operated
(02:42):
by the Federal Bureau of Prisons the BOP. The BOP
temporarily closed mcc new York in October of twenty twenty
one due to substandard conditions that are unrelated to this investigation.
When it was operational, mcc new York housed primarily trial
detainees who had not yet been convicted of any offense,
(03:04):
but whom the court had determined, under applicable law, should
remain in custody depending trial, either because they represent a
danger to the community, a substantial flight risk, or both
due to the significant media attention surrounding his arrest and
his notoriety among other mcc new York inmates. The following day,
(03:26):
Epstein was moved to mcc new York Special Housing Unit
or the Shoe, a housing unit within mcc new York
where inmates are securely separated from the general inmate population
and kept locked in their cells for approximately twenty three
hours per day to ensure their own safety as well
(03:46):
as the safety of staff and other inmates. On Monday,
July eighth, twenty nineteen, Epstein appeared in federal court and
pleaded not guilty to the charges. The court order that
Epstein remained in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for
July fifteenth of twenty nineteen. At the detention hearing, Epstein
(04:08):
sought to be placed in home detention at his New
York residence, with an electronic monitoring and other conditions. The
prosecutors sought to have Epstein detained at mcc New York
pending trial. The court reviewed the party's filings and heard
arguments on the matter of pre trial release on July
fifteenth of twenty nineteen. On July eighteenth of twenty nineteen,
(04:34):
the Court ordered that Epstein be detained pending trial. In
its ruling, the court noted that because Ebstein had been
indicted for a violation of the federal sex Trafficking Statute
that involved minor victims, there was a presumption in favor
of detention under federal law. The court found that the
(04:54):
United States had shown by clear and convincing evidence that
Epstein threatened the safety of another person and of the community,
based on testimony from two victims, the allegations of repeated
sexual abuse of minors, and the lewd photographs of young
looking women or girls that were found during an authorized
(05:16):
search of Epstein's New York residence in July of twenty nineteen.
The court also relied on the recommendation of US pre
trial services, the seriousness of the offenses with which Epstein
had been charged, evidence reflecting Epstein's harassment and intimidation of
and tampering with witnesses involved in a prior Florida State
(05:40):
criminal investigation, and Epstein's lack of compliance with his legal
obligations as a registered sex offender. The court found that
the United States had also shown by a preponderance of
the evidence that Epstein was a flight risk based on
the severity of the criminal charges and severity of the
(06:01):
potential punishment, the strength of the evidence against Epstein, and
Epstein's criminal history, sex offender registration, vast wealth and substantial
liquid assets, multiple residences of foreign residents, limited family ties
in the United States, private planes, extensive oversea travel, and
(06:22):
possession of a foreign passport bearing Epstein's photograph but not
his name. Finally, the court found that Epstein's pre trial
release proposal was inadequate because, among other things, it did
not contain sworn, accurate or comprehensive financial statements, it required
excessive court involvement in routine aspects of the proposed home confinement.
(06:47):
The proposed consent to extradition was unenforceable, and the proposed
appointments of a trustee to monitor Epstein's compliance with release
conditions was unacceptably vague and problematic due to the potential
conflict of interest presented by monitoring the conduct of a
person who paid the trustees' salary, and allegations Epstein engaged
(07:11):
in on lawful axe with his employees during the sex
trafficking conspiracy. Epstein appealed the court's order on July twenty
second of twenty nineteen. This appeal remained pending at the
time of Epstein's death. Section two MCC New York Special
(07:32):
Housing Unit. Epstein was initially assigned to MCC New York
General Inmate Population, but on July seventh, twenty nineteen, at
approximately seven to twenty pm, he was moved to the Shoe,
pending reclassification due to the significant increase in media coverage
and awareness of his notoriety among the other MCC New
(07:55):
York inmate residents. The Shoe is a housing unit within
the mcc C New York, where inmates are securely separated
from the general inmate population and kept locked in their
cells for approximately twenty three hours a day to ensure
their own safety as well as the safety of the
staff and other inmates. Inmates in the Shoe are either
(08:17):
on administrative detention or disciplinary segregation status. Administrative segregation status
is a non punitive designation that removes an inmate from
the general population when it's necessary to do so to
ensure the safety, security, and orderly operation of the correctional
(08:37):
facility or to protect the public. The mcc New York employee,
who is the Acting Evening Watch Activities Lieutenant, on August ninth,
twenty nineteen, told the Office of the Inspector General OIG
that most inmates housed in the Shoe are locked down
in their cells for most of the day. Other witnesses
(08:59):
told the OA that Shoe inmates are locked in their
cells for approximately twenty three hours per day. The Warden
of mcc New York during Epstein's period of detention at
that facility, along with the Associate Warden I and the
acting Evening Watch Activity As Lieutenant, explained that this was
(09:20):
one of the reasons that conducting rounds in the shoe
was so important. Unlike inmates in general population housing, shoe
inmates could not physically approach a staff member. Therefore, the
staff member had to go to each inmate's cell. Witnesses
told the OIG that Epstein's daily routine in the shoe
was to meet with his attorney in the attorney conference
(09:42):
room all day until approximately eight pm. MCC New York
attorney logs confirmed that Epstein had daily visits with attorneys
from several different law practices throughout the period of his
detention at MCC New York. This is consistent with the
en information available in century a BOP database that contains
(10:04):
information relating to the care classification, subsistence protection, discipline, and
programs of the Federal inmates, which indicates that Epstein had
one to two attorney visits on all but one day
he was detained at MCC New York. BOP emails reflect
(10:24):
that other attorneys expressed frustration to a supervisory staff attorney
with the goop's Consolidated Legal Center for New York because
attorneys had to wait hours or were unable to meet
with their clients because Epstein and his attorneys were occupying
the attorney conference room, even at times when Epstein had
(10:45):
to leave the conference room for a medical visit. At
MCC New York, the shoe was located on the south
side of the institution's ninth floor and was often referred
to as nine South. Primary access to the shoe was
controlled by a locked door main exterior entry door. That
door was opened remotely by a staff member in mcc
(11:09):
New York Centralized Control Center. Access into the shoe was
further controlled by a second lock door main interior entry door,
to which a limited number of correctional officers had keys
while on duty. Secondary access to the shoe was controlled
by a locked door. That door was opened remotely by
(11:30):
a staff member in the Centralized Control Center. Entry into
the shoe from the secondary access point was further controlled
by three additional locked doors, to which a limited number
of the CEOs had keys while on duty. The secondary
access doors were used only by staff when facilitating visits
between the shoe inmates and their outside visitors. Within the shoe,
(11:54):
inmates were assigned to six separate teers or groups of cells,
three of which were acces via stairs leading up from
the common area on the ninth floor upper tiers G,
J and L tiers and three of which were accessible
via stairs leading down from the common area on the
ninth floor, lower tiers H, K and M tiers Shooting
(12:18):
by Lot eight plus terns and conditions of fly se
website for details. The entrance to each tier could be
accessed only via a single locked door at the top
or bottom of the staircase leading to the individual tier.
A limited number of keys to open the locked tier
doors were available only to a limited number of cos
while on duty. Each tier had eight cells, each of
(12:41):
which could house either one or two inmates. Each individual cell,
which was made of cement and metal, could be accessed
only through a single locked door, to which only a
limited number of cos had keys while on duty. The
shoe cell doors were made of solid metal with a
lass window and small locked slots that correctional staff used
(13:05):
to handcuff inmates and provide food or toilet tries to
inmates as a further security measure. During each shift, the
keys to the shoe tier doors and shoe cell doors
were carried by different coos. As noted above, Inmates in
the shoe are securely separated from the general inmate population
(13:26):
and are kept locked in their cell when in their
assigned tier within the shoe. Witnesses told the OEG that
Shoe inmates are locked in their cells for approximately twenty
three hours a day. BOP policy provides that weather and
resources permitting, Shoe inmates will have the opportunity to exercise
(13:47):
outside of their quarters five hours per calendar a week.
Under federal regulations the BOP policy, Shoe inmates ordinarily have
the opportunity to shower at least three times a week,
tip on different days in one hour periods. Shoe inmates
may also be escorted from their cells by mcc New
(14:08):
York staff for visits, including legal visits, court appearances, medical
and psychological attention. The mcc new York Shoe post orders
require that all visitors to the Shoe be documented in
the Shoe Visitor Log, and that any inmate visiting the Shoe,
such as inmates on work details, be searched visually and
(14:31):
with a handheld metal detector without exception. The mcc new
York Shoe post Orders also requires that food carts be
searched inside and out before being brought into a Shoe
cell block, and that all meals be delivered through the
cell door food slot of the lock cell door. All right, folks,
(14:51):
this section is massive, so we're gonna break it down
into several parts. So we're gonna stop here, and then
in the next episode we're gonna pick up with section
three of chapter four. All of the information that goes
with this episode can be found in the description box.
What's up, everyone, and welcome back to the program. In
(15:12):
this episode, we're going to pick right back up where
we left off with the OIG report into the death
and circumstances surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein. In the
last episode, we were talking about Jeffrey Epstein's arrest and detention,
and now we're moving on to Jeffrey Epstein's initial cell
(15:32):
and cell mate assignment from July seventh to July twenty third.
According to the Warden, mcc new York typically housed inmates
in the shoe with the cellmate. Upon Epstein's initial transfer
to the Shoe on July seventh, twenty nineteen, he was
assigned to sell in the m tier of the Shoe
with inmate number one. The warden explained that Epstein was
(15:55):
a high profile inmate and that he initially selected inmate
one to be Epstein's cell mate because inmate one was
another high profile inmate and the warden believed in May
one to be the least likely Shoe inmate to harm Epstein.
Epstein and Inmate one were housed together in Cell Z
zero five Dash one twenty four. Section four Events of
(16:16):
July twenty third and placement of Epstein on suicide Watch
and psychological Observation from July twenty third to July thirtieth.
According to BOP documents, at approximately one twenty seven am
on July twenty third, twenty nineteen, Senior Officer Specialists one
in two heard noises coming from the M tier in
(16:38):
the Shoe, the tier where Epstein was housed. Senior Officer
Specialist II documented in a BOP report that upon checking
Cell Z zero five Dash one twenty four, he saw
Epstein laying down near his bunk with a piece of
handmade orange cloth around his neck, and Senior Officer Specialist
one wrote in a BOP report that epstein cell mate
(17:00):
inmate one said Epstein had attempted to hang himself. In
his interview with OIG, Senior Officer Specialist one said that
Inmate one who appeared shaken up, told him that he
had been asleep on the floor of the cell and
was awoken when he felt Epstein land on him. Senior
Officer Specialist IWO reported that after he had been alerted
(17:21):
by the noise, he grabbed the door keys, called the
control center for assistance, and then he and Senior Officer
Specialist one entered the cell, where they secured and removed
epstein cell mate. Senior Officer Specialist one reported that he
then re entered the cell, placed Epstein on his side,
and removed an orange homemade rope from his neck. In
(17:44):
his interview with OIG, Senior Officer Specialist one said Epstein
had a sheet around his neck, which was attached to
the bunk bed ladder in the cell. Senior Officer Specialist
one said Epstein was sitting on the floor of the
cell with his back against the bunk bed ladder. Senior
Officer Specialist one reports said that Epstein was breathing but unresponsive,
(18:06):
so he began chess compressions, at which time the morning
Watch Operations Lieutenant and other staff arrived. Senior Officer Specialist
one confirmed in his OIG interview that they started CPR,
but stop when they realized Epstein was already breathing. The
morning Watch Operations lieutenant documented in a BOP report that
(18:27):
when she arrived at the Shoe, she saw Epstein lying
in the fetal position in his cell, breathing heavily and snoring,
wearing only a T shirt and boxers. The Morning Watch
Operations lieutenant observed that Epstein's neck was red, but she
saw no further injuries. She called out to Epstein, who
flicked his eyes open and continued snoring. The CEOs unsuccessfully
(18:50):
tried to get Epstein to stand on his own and
then placed him on a stretcher and took him to
the Health Services unit. According to BP records, at approximately
Epstein was transferred out of the Shoe and placed on
suicide watch. As previously noted in Chapter two, inmates on
suicide watch are housed in dedicated room, typically in the
(19:13):
Health Services area, where they are continuously monitored by specially
trained staff or inmates. Senior Officer Specialist three documented in
a BOP report that when he and others responded to
the call for assistance and gained access to the Shoe,
he saw Epstein lying on the floor of his cell, snoring,
(19:34):
He and the other officers verbally instructed Epstein to stand up,
but Epstein did not. He and other officers then lifted
Epstein onto a stretcher to remove him from the cell.
Senior Officer Specialist four wrote in a BOP report that
he responded to a body alarm in the shoe and
helped remove Epstein from his cell, placed him on a stretcher,
(19:56):
and took him to the second floor for a medical assessment.
Senior Officer Specialist for further reported that while he was
observing Epstein in the Health Services Unit, Epstein told Senior
Officer Specialist four that he thought his cell mate had
tried to kill him. Epstein further stated that his cellmate
had tried to extort him and that for the last
(20:17):
week as cel Mat had threatened to beat him if
he did not pay him. Epstein told Senior Officer Specialist
four he had not reported this to mcc new York staff,
but that he had told his lawyers. The Morning Watch
Operations Lieutenant documented in a BOP report, when she returned
to the Health Services Unit, Senior Officer Specialist four informed
(20:38):
her that Epstein had said his cell mate had tried
to kill Epstein and been harassing him. The Morning Watch
Operations lieutenant then spoke to his cellmate in mat One,
who said he was wearing headphones and was asleep when
he felt something hit his legs. Inmate once said he
called out to Epstein, and when Epstein did not answer,
he got up, turned on the light and saw Epstein
(20:58):
sitting on the floor to the side with a string
around his neck. In May One told the Morning Watch
Operations lieutenant that he then called the guards. In May
One provided a similar statement to BP officials at approximately
two fifty pm on July twenty third, twenty nineteen. The
Morning Watch Operations lieutenant report notes that she also spoke
(21:21):
with Epstein, who told her that he had returned to
his cell after an attorney visit at approximately eight pm
the previous day, at which time his cellmate was reading
the Daily News newspaper. Epstein said his cellmate turned to
a page of the newspaper that had Epstein's picture and
reported that Epstein was worth seventy seven million. Epstein told
(21:42):
the Morning Watch Operations lieutenant that he looked at the picture,
balled it up, threw it in the garbage. Epstein further
stated that he woke up at approximately one am to
get a drink of water, returned to his bunk, and
the next thing he remembered was that he was snoring
and mcc new york staff were inside his cell. When
asked about the allegations against his cell mate, Epstein said
(22:03):
he had been told that if his cell mat heard him,
mcc new york staff would not care. Inmate two, who
was housed in the same shoe tier as Epstein on
July twenty third, told the FBI about the incident that
occurred in the shoe around one twenty am to one
thirty am on an unspecified date. In May two said
he was reading a book when he heard an inmate
(22:25):
scream and bang on the cell door to get the
shoe officer's attention. In May two said he could only
see the cell door and not inside. According to inmate two,
senior officers Specialist too responded on the cell and then
left and returned with additional officers. The FBI was further
told by inmate two that the officers opened the cell door,
(22:46):
removed an inmate, placed the inmate in handcuffs, and put
the inmate in the shower area. Inmate two stated that
the officers re entered the cell and in May two
heard a thump as if something had hit the floor.
The officers then pulled the other inmate out of the cell,
placed them on a stretcher, and took them away. In
May two also told the FBI that later in the evening,
(23:09):
around two ten to two fifteen am, the CEO's return
to the cell where the incident had occurred earlier. He
said he further observed the officers clean out the cell
and use a video camera to record the inside of
the cell. In May two said he saw the officers
remove from the cell orange clothing items that had been
tied together. In May two also said that the first
(23:32):
inmate to be removed from the cell later told in
May two he was sleeping when his cell mate had
tried to kill himself by hanging himself from the ladder
of the bed. According to BP records, medical staff evaluated
Epstein at approximately six twenty am on July twenty third,
twenty nineteen, and observed friction marks and superficial reddening of
(23:55):
his neck and one knee. The red mark spanned two
thirds of Epstein's neck, front and side and was two
inches wide. Epstein told the medical staff that he did
not know what had caused his injuries, and that he
went to drink a little water and woke up snoring.
After that morning, mcc new York staff psychologists conducted a
suicide risk assessment and determined that Epstein should remain on
(24:18):
suicide watch. During the assessment, Epstein denied any knowledge of
how he sustained the marks on his neck. The staff
psychologists noted in the assessment report that it was unclear
whether Epstein had placed the string around his neck or
if someone else did. Medical staff examined Epstein had approximately
one o eight pm the following day, July twenty fourth,
(24:40):
twenty nineteen, and observed that the central part of the
red mark on Epstein's neck had some abrasion. According to
BP records, Epstein told the medical staff that he did
not want to talk about how he sustained the injuries,
but he believed his cellmate had something to do with it.
BOP's Special Investigative Services opened an investigation into this incident,
(25:03):
but was unable to determine whether Epstein harmed himself or
had been assaulted. On July twenty fourth, twenty nineteen, at
approximately eight forty five am Epstein was removed from suicide Watch. However,
Epstein remained in the same cell that he was placed
in the previous day and was under psychological observation until
July thirtieth, twenty nineteen. The MCC New York Chief Psychologist
(25:27):
told the OIG an inmate is placed on suicide watch
when the inmate is believed to be eminently suicidal. During
suicide watch, the inmate is under constant observation by staff.
The cell lights are on twenty four hours a day,
and the inmate is given a special mattress, blanket, and
smock to wear. The Chief Psychologists explained that although psychological
(25:49):
observation is in a lower class at MCC New York,
the psychological observations were the same as suicide Watch, except
that inmates were allowed to have their clothes and some
materials such as books as determined by the psychology department.
At MCC New York, psychological observation was used to see
how inmates were doing before releasing the inmate into a
(26:13):
housing unit. The chief Psychologists told the OIG that the
psychology department independently makes the decision who goes on and
off suicide Watch. The Chief psychologists also stated that the
psychology department makes recommendations to the institution's management about where
inmates are housed when they come off of suicide watch.
(26:35):
According to her, the psychology Department always recommends that inmates
coming off of suicide watch be housed with other inmates. However,
she said the recommendations cannot always be carried out due
to other security factors. When that occurs, the Psychology Department
recommends conducting increased rounds and keeping an eye on those inmates.
(26:56):
The chief Psychologists further told the OIG, based on a
conversation with the BOP's National Suicide Prevention Coordinator from the
BP Central Office, she passed along to the mcc new
York executive staff the recommendation that Epstein be housed with
an alleged sex offender in the shoe. The chief psychologist
(27:16):
stated that the mcc new York warden and associate wardens
decided who Epstein would be housed with, and the psychology
Department was not involved in that decision, according to BP records,
as a result of the July twenty third incident, mcc
new York subsequently conducted disciplinary proceedings against Ebstein for alleged
(27:37):
self mutilation, but ultimately found that there was insufficient evidence
to find that Epstein engaged in a prohibited act. When
Epstein was psychologically evaluated on July thirtieth, twenty nineteen, in
connection with disciplinary proceedings, Epstein said he did not remember
how he obtained the marks around his neck. On August two,
(27:58):
twenty nineteen, the SIS investigation into the July twenty third,
twenty nineteen incident was completed and found insufficient evidence to
support either that Epstein had harmed himself or that he
had been harmed by his cell mate. Senior Officer Specialist
one told the OIG that after Epstein came off suicide Watch,
(28:19):
Epstein asked if he could be paired up within Maate
one again. Senior Officer Specialist one told Epstein that this
request was something he would need to raise with the
operations Lieutenant. Senior Officer Specialist one told the OIG that
Epstein replied, yeah, but I don't understand. You know, we
were bunkies. Everything was cool. The chief Psychologists also told
(28:40):
the OIG that Epstein mentioned to her that he wanted
Inmate one to continue to be his cell mate. All right, folks,
we're gonna wrap this portion up right here, and we're
gonna pick up in the next episode with section five,
and that is the psychology departments post July twenty third
to determination that Epstein needed to have an appropriate cell mate.
(29:04):
All of the information that goes with this episode can
be found in the description box.
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