
MCC Corrections Officer Michael Thomas And His OIG Interview Related To Epstein's Death (Part 17 ) (3/3/26)
About this episode
Thomas became a focal figure in the official investigations into Epstein’s death because surveillance footage and institutional records showed that neither he nor Noel conducted the required rounds or counts through the night before Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell early on August 10. Prosecutors subsequently charged both officers with conspiracy and falsifying records for signing count slips that falsely indicated they had completed rounds they had not performed. Thomas and Noel later entered deferred prosecution agreements in which they admitted falsifying records and avoided prison time, instead receiving supervisory release and community service. Investigators concluded that chronic staffing shortages and procedural failures at the jail contributed to the circumstances that allowed Epstein to remain unmonitored for hours before his death, which was officially ruled a suicide by hanging.
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The True Crime Tapes — MCC Corrections Officer Michael Thomas And His OIG Interview Related To Epstein's Death (Part 17 ) (3/3/26). Machine-transcribed; use the interactive transcript above to jump the player to any line.
Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Victory Lane? Yeah, it's even better with Chamba by my side. Race to chambacacino.com. Let's Chamba. No purchase necessary, VTW Group, Void We're Prohibited by Law, CTNCs, 21 Plus, sponsored by ChambaCacino. What's up everyone and welcome to another episode of the Epstein Chronicles. In this episode, we're gonna dive right back in to the Michael Thomas interview with the OIG inspectors. Question, so what's your understanding of how Epstein died? Thomas, it's been two years he died from hanging. Question, so do you believe he died from hanging? Do you believe he died from someone trying to murder or someone hurting him? Do you believe that he died from a medical response? Thomas, I'm not medical professional, I don't know. I've seen so many things and I'm faced with so many things. They just said that he died from a hanging. Question, and being the first responder to the person in there, do you believe that is how he died now?
Because you said again previously when I was asking you, I don't know if he was alive or dead. Do you believe he died from hanging? Thomas, I never believe he died. I don't believe the conspiracy that somebody's snuck into the jail. Catapulted, Mitchell, just answer the questions. Thomas, yes or no? Thomas, oh no, I mean yes, I believe he died from hanging. Question, do you believe he died from hanging? All right. And do you believe that Epstein took his own life? Thomas, yes. Question, did anyone else take Epstein's life? Thomas, no. Question, no. Did anyone assist Epstein in taking his life? Thomas, no. Question, did Noel take Epstein's life? Thomas, no. Question, these are questions that we just have to ask because you guys are the first to be there and you guys were the ones on duty. Thomas, I'm here with you. Question, did Noel assist Epstein in taking his life? Thomas, no. Question, did you assist Epstein with taking his life?
Thomas, no. Question, did you take Epstein's life? Thomas, no. Question, did you have any part in Epstein's death? Thomas, no. Question, private Epstein dying. Did you have any communication, verbal, electronic, handwritten or otherwise with anyone? B-O-P staff members or otherwise? Civilians, inmates, anybody about the safety and well-being of Epstein? Thomas, no. Question, private Epstein dying. Did you have any communication, verbal, electronic, handwritten or otherwise with anyone? B-O-P staff members or otherwise? So civilians, inmates, anybody about the death of Epstein or taking Epstein's life? Thomas, no. Question, did anyone ever offer you anything? Such as something of value or favors with regard to harming Epstein or taking his life? Thomas, no. Question, did anyone ever threaten you in exchange for harming Epstein or taking Epstein's life? Thomas, no. Question, were any of your family members? Thomas, no.
Absolutely not. Question, so now we're getting more back into the administrative stuff. Why was an Epstein and his assigned cell on August 10th, 2019? Thomas, I don't know. Question, are cell rotations? Do they occur with inmates in the shoe that you have to move them every certain amount of days? Thomas, yeah. Question, all right, who's responsible? Thomas, that's the shoe lieutenant. Question, that falls on the shoe lieutenant? Thomas, yeah, from the shoe lieutenant. When it falls on the shoe lieutenant to pass down to the staff members when they're going to do cell rotations or anything like that. Question, all right. Thomas, it's something that's tracked. If I'm not mistaken, it might be tracked on the computer. I don't know. Question in the computer, who's responsible for making that change in the computer? Thomas, I don't know. Question, did you know that Epstein was not in as a assigned cell? Thomas, no. Question, so this is the first time that you're hearing that? Thomas, yes.
Question, all right. Is that something that you guys were supposed to monitor or do when you're in the shoe during your assignment? Are you supposed to make sure that inmates are in their assigned cells? Thomas, when I come in at 12, that's all taken care of. You don't move anybody at 12 midnight? Question, yeah. I just didn't know if that's something that you guys are supposed to like pay attention to. Like, all right, this guy is supposed to be in this cell. This guy is supposed to be in that cell. Thomas, it's 70 something inmate or something. If 15 inmates come down on short staff and they got to move, maybe all 15 won't get done. So maybe somebody is in a 21 day rotation. There are probably laid over for like five or whatever couple days, but I don't know as far as you're going by cell rotation and his cell rotation is up 21 days and he hasn't moved there and he was in the wrong cell. I don't know that. I don't know. Question, okay. Thomas, like I said, I'm not in custody. I wouldn't do with that.
Question, okay, so I'm assuming it's the officers who actually move them physically to a different cell. Thomas, yeah. Question, who goes into the system and changes it in the BOP database? Would that be the officers? Thomas, officers or operation or the Shulu tenant? Question, okay. But that's nothing that's done at 12 a.m. Thomas, that's nothing that's done at 12 a.m. No, it's not question. All right. Do you know why pill bottles were found within Epstein cell? Thomas, no, I do not question. Are inmates allowed to have medication within their cells? Thomas, I'm sure some are allowed, yeah. Question, they're allowed. Thomas, I'm sure that some are allowed medication. I don't know what medication they need or anything like that. Question, do you ever recall seeing a picture I'm showing you with medication that was in Epstein cell? Do you recall seeing this? Thomas, no, question. Does that look like something that he would have been authorized to have with that much medication?
Thomas, I don't know what they are. Question, I don't know that they're authorized and what they're not authorized. Question, okay. Just because I showed it to you, can you mind just initialing and dating it? Thomas, I'm sorry, I keep closing this. Question, no worries. And so you don't know anything about like policies or related to what they're authorized or not authorized. Thomas, no. Question, would that be up to like medical? Thomas, medical, yeah. Question, okay. Are you familiar just in general, non-medical related? What inmates are authorized and not authorized? Thomas, no, I'm not. Question, you're not even familiar. Thomas, mm-hmm. Question with what they can and can't have in their cells. Thomas, no, I'm not, no. All right, hold on. I have to interject. How are you a prison guard? And you don't know what people are allowed to have or not have in their cells. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Victory Lane? Yeah, it's even better with Chamba by my side.
Race to ChambaCasino.com, let's Chamba. No purchase necessary, VTW Group. Void, we're prohibited by law. CTNCs, 21 plus sponsored by ChambaCasino. Question, do you know if the shoe is any different than the rest of the institution of what inmates can and cannot have in their cell? Thomas, yes, absolutely. I'm sure it's different. I don't know though, because I'm sure it's different, because that's the 23 on one. So I'm sure it's different from a regular housing unit on there it'll walk around. Question, what's 23 on one now? Thomas, they're locked down 23 hours a day and then one hour is for rec. Question, but as far as what they're allowed to have in their cells, Thomas, no, I don't know the book version of what they're allowed and what they're not allowed. Question, so do you know of other inmates or allowed to have medication in their cells at this time? Thomas, I don't know. Question, you don't know. How many changes of clothings and linens are allowed in an intimate cell within the shoe? Thomas, I don't know.
Question, you don't know. Thomas, that's something that would be done prior to my shift. Question, sure. So does this look like an exorbitant amount of clothing and linens that are in Mr. Epstein cell in that picture? Thomas, it looks like a lot, but that could have just been, I don't know what's from the previous inmates that's left over that they didn't take it stuff. Like again, I don't know. The inmates that left, they didn't take his linen out or not, and you can't tell from these pictures, which is ripped up and which is ripped up and which is not. Most inmates will get a bed sheet, rip it up, and put it up as all types of stuff that goes on. But I don't know if that's something doing or not. It has to be broken down to all right, this is seven sheets. And if I have seven sheets or something like that, then yes, that's excessive. But other than that, I don't know that they're supposed to have within what they're not supposed to have one sheet, I really don't know. Question, is it supposed to be a one for one exchange?
Thomas, yeah, it's one for one question. So they're only technically supposed to have one. Thomas, it's two sheets, one blanket, I think, or one blanket, one sheet and one towel and one washcloth. Question, okay, Thomas, and I can't remember the full thing. Question, and do you, Thomas cuts them off? That's not something that happens on morning watch. That's something that happens prior to the morning watch when I stayed there from 12 to one. Question, okay, Thomas, that's not something I have, 12 to one, you don't take the inmates out. And I don't know, and you don't give them anything unless somebody's coming in off the street, it's already pre-bed was made that you're giving to them to put this over there. And usually they try to put them on G tier, single cell, until they can find out what their affiliation is or anything like that. Redacted, okay, but to you though, if there's one person in that cell, does that look like it's too much linen and too much clothing? Thomas, like again, I can't tell what's ripped up
and what's not ripped up. Question, okay, do you mind just initialing and dating these? Thomas, question, I've just got a question by somebody else now, this is somebody else interjecting. Did the cell look like that when you walked in? Thomas, I don't remember the clothes and stuff being on the floor. I don't remember that much linen being on the floor. Honestly, I couldn't tell you what's there. I just remember him hanging on his side. Mitchell breaks already. Question, push pause. All right, we're being asked to take a break. So they take their break and then they come back. Thomas, okay, question. And we're showing you the pictures. Thomas, absolutely. Question, did you provide Epstein with additional clothing or linens? Thomas, no. Question ever, Thomas, no. Question is that anything that you would typically happen between the hours that you work, Thomas, no. Question 12 to 8 AM, Thomas, no.
Question, okay, it's providing inmates with extra clothing and linens is security risk. Thomas, I don't know. I don't know if it's a security risk or anything like that because I don't know. Question, okay, question. We touched on this, but when inmates are provided linens, is it supposed to be a one-for-one exchange? Thomas, yeah, question, all right. And is that typically what they are utilizing in order to do things like hanging themselves? Thomas, I don't know. I really don't know. What's the typical thing? Question, that's what they used in this case though. It appears, Thomas, yeah, that's what it appears. In this case, you see the sheet or a shirt. I don't know what it is. Question, okay, and somebody on suicide watch, do you think it's abnormal? Again, you didn't provide the linens, but do you think it's abnormal? If he had extra linens, if he was someone that was just on suicide watch, Thomas, it's not abnormal for someone to have extra linen. Question, it's not. Thomas, mm-hmm. Question, so if that's supposed to be a one-for-one exchange,
is that like a constant problem? Then at the MCC, Thomas in a perfect world, in a perfect world, it couldn't be, but like I said, I'm not custody. I'm not always up here like that, and when, as you can see, all the linen and that stuff is already done. Question, okay, and again, we talked about this briefly, but what material was used to take Epstein's life in August of 2019? Thomas, I don't know what it was, a sheet or a shirt. I don't know exactly what it was. Question, this orange cotton, which could be either, Thomas, a sheet or a shirt. Question, a sheet or a shirt. Okay. Question, does this appear to be what it was that was removed from Mr. Epstein? Thomas, it appears to be, yes. Question, okay, can you just walk me through like this thing specifically looks like it's still intact. Thomas, mm-hmm. Question, did you have to rip it off or slide it over his head? Thomas, what are you talking about? That was still intact, yeah. I took it off his head. I guess I took it off his head. I don't remember I did, but I guess I took it off his head.
But like I said, when I ripped it, it was tied to the other portion of it. That's what I meant when I said I ripped it off, like just when I just pulled it off. Question, okay, so maybe it could have also been possible that this was part. That's what was actually connected. This is the part that was possibly ripped. Thomas just pushed off. Yeah, like that. It probably just slipped through or whatever the case may be through that. Question, okay, but you said you ripped it off. Thomas, yeah, ripped it off. I just ripped it from the piece that's still dangling. Question, you don't recall actually sliding it. Thomas, I don't recall. If it's still intact, maybe I did. Question, and again, I don't know that that was what was actually around his neck. Thomas, I don't know. Question, but that does appear to be probably what was around his neck. Thomas, okay, question, is that correct? Thomas, I don't know. Question, you're not exactly sure. Thomas, I'm not exactly sure. Question, but does this look like something like you recall when you took it off his head?
Mr. Thomas, yeah. Question, all right, just because I showed it, you want to just initial and date? All right, folks, we're gonna wrap up right here and in the next episode dealing with the topic we're gonna pick up where we left off. All the information that goes with this episode can be found in the description box. Tyler Reddick here from 2311 Racing. Victory Lane? Yeah, it's even better with Chumba by my side. Race to chumbacicino.com, let's chumba. No purchase necessary, VTW Group, voidware prohibited by law, CTNCs, 21 plus, sponsored by chumbacicino. No purchase necessary, VTW Group, voidware prohibited by law, CTNCs, 21 plus, sponsored by chumbacicino.
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