Epstein death: officials probe “serious irregularities” at prison

The US Attorney General says "serious irregularities" have emerged at
the New York prison where disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was
being held when he committed suicide.

Accusations of overworked, under-qualified staff are now being investigated.

Epstein was due to stand trial next year on charges he created a
network of dozens of underaged girls that he sexually abused - charges
he had denied.

Nick Harper reports.

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The Metropolitan Correctional Center is an imposing building in lower
Manhattan. It's not the tallest, at only 12-stories high, and it
barely sticks out on the New York skyline. But what it lacks in size,
it adequately makes up for in stature. It's been the holding facility
for some of American's most notorious criminals - Mexican druglord El
Chapo, mafia crime boss John Gotti….and alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey
Epstein.

But its inner workings are being questioned after Epstein was found
unresponsive in his cell on Saturday morning. The autopsy results are
still pending - but its believed he committed suicide.

It's now been revealed on the night he died one of his two guards was
not a fully trained correctional officer.
And neither guard had checked on Epstein for several hours, according
to the New York Times.

Also under scrutiny - why he was not on suicide watch, despite an
apparent suicide attempt just weeks earlier. That attempt should have
triggered additional security measures, including the stipulation that
guards check on him every 30 minutes and that he have a cell mate.

Attorney General William Barr says investigations are ongoing to find
out the exact circumstances of Epstein's death.

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In a statement the president of the prison guards union Eric Young,
said "dangerous conditions" had been created at the prison as a
result of a hiring freeze by the Trump administration.

Thousands of vacant positions has led, he said, to "understaffing…and
mandatory overtime".
He suggested the guards at the prison were overstretched and overworked.

All of that is now part of the separate investigations being led by
the FBI and Justice Department.

Away from the US federal agents have also been seen at his property in
the Virgin Islands.

And Attorney General Barr made it clear that despite Epstein's death,
other investigations were still underway into his alleged
activities….and his potential accomplices.

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Under the spotlight is British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter
of the newspaper mogul Robert Maxwell. Investigators believe she and
several others helped recruit underage girls for Epstein to have sex
with. But her whereabouts are unknown.

Victims, who have expressed, their anger that Epstein won't get his
day in court are also pursuing civil lawsuits, aiming to receive
compensation from his multi-million dollar estate.

Meanwhile, conspiracy theories continue. Include one endorsed by US
President Donald Trump. He re-tweeted the claim that former President
Bill Clinton, who had connections to Epstein, ordered his death to
silence the financier because he "had information" on Clinton.

Clinton's spokesman commented by saying the claim was "Ridiculous, and
of course not true."

Epstein had been due to stand trial next summer and faced a possible
sentence of 45 years in prison.

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