Judge orders charges dropped against Epstein jail guards

By LARRY NEUMEISTER
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has ordered charges dropped against two Bureau of Prisons guards who admitted falsifying records after Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide in jail. Prosecutors had said the guards shopped online and slept, and failed to make required rounds every 30 minutes. The guards had agreed to deferred prosecution deals last May that required them to admit their guilt. In return, the charges against Tova Noel and Michael Thomas in a federal indictment were set to be dismissed if they followed the agreement’s rules for six months. Prosecutors last week requested the charges be dropped. Judge Analisa Torres ordered the dismissal Monday.