Prison guard who last saw Jeffrey Epstein searched his name online minutes before his death and made ‘suspicious’ cash deposits

Tova Noel looked up 'Jeffrey Epstein' online minutes before he was found dead in his cell.

The officer Googled "latest on Epstein in jail" at 5:42am before doing so again ten minutes later 5:52am. At 6.30am, Mr Thomas found the disgraced financier was found dead in his cell by Ms Noel's colleague, Michael Thomas.

Separate documents show Noel made multiple cash deposits that were flagged in a "suspicious activity report", which was sent by the 37-year-old's bank to the FBI.

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The records reportedly show 12 deposits starting in April 2018, including the largest amount of $5,000, ten days before Epstein died.

Seven cash deposits totalling $11,880 were revealed by the documents.

Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York on August 10, 2019. His death was ruled a suicide.

Ms Noel and her colleague Mr Thomas lost their jobs after being accused of falsifying records to claim they checked on Epstein during the night before his death.

She also searched the internet for the sex offender just minutes before he was found unresponsive.

When questioned by the Department of Justice, Ms Noel denied making the Google searches.

She claimed: "I don't remember doing that," and suggested the search for Epstein could have automatically appeared in her browser.

Prosecutors previously alleged Ms Noel and Mr Thomas failed to conduct the mandatory checks on Epstein every 30 minutes during the overnight shift, but criminal charges were dropped.

However, Ms Noel was not asked about the payments raised in the suspicious activity report.

Epstein died by hanging, allegedly using strips of orange cloth.

A separate FBI briefing suggested the officer may have been the mysterious orange shape spotted in a blurry surveillance video near Epstein’s cell around 10:40pm on the night he died.

The report stated: "At approximately 10:40 pm, a correctional officer, believed to be Tova Noel, carried linen or inmate clothing up to the L-Tier, the last time any correctional officer approached the only entrance to the SHU tier."

She denied handing out linen to inmates and told investigators: "I've never worked in the Special Housing Unit and actually done rounds every 30 minutes." She also claimed she “never gave out linen – ever".

When asked directly if she had any part in Epstein’s death, Ms Noel replied: "No."