NEW YORK — A previously unidentified former Ocean County College student and Navy veteran was questioned by federal investigators as part of the Justice Department’s internal probe into the 2019 death of financier Jeffrey Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan.
The transcript was in the millions of records released by the Department of Justice regarding the Epstein investigation. The person’s name was redacted.
According to a sworn August 4, 2021 statement obtained from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General (OIG), the witness — who worked at MCC as a plumbing worker supervisor at the time of Epstein’s death — confirmed under oath that he had limited involvement with the inmate and was unaware of major security lapses later revealed in the investigation.
The man, who told agents he attended Ocean County College in Toms River, New Jersey, served in the U.S. Navy as a military police officer from 2006 to 2010 before joining the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in 2012. He transferred to MCC in 2015 and was serving there when Epstein died in custody in August 2019.
During the interview, federal agents pressed him about whether he had been “acting” in a supervisory capacity the weekend Epstein was found dead and whether he knew that the jail’s surveillance cameras were malfunctioning. He denied having any prior knowledge that the cameras in Epstein’s housing area were down, saying, “I believe he did not tell me, because I would remember something like that.”
The transcript shows investigators focused on the MCC’s communications technician, who was responsible for cameras, and on whether staff failed to act after learning the surveillance system was not recording properly on August 9 and 10, 2019 — the day Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell.
The witness, identified only by his initials in the document, told agents he had no involvement in Epstein’s death and believed, based on what he was told, that Epstein “hung himself.” He added that the tragedy could have been prevented if Epstein had remained on suicide watch or been assigned a cellmate.
When asked about systemic problems at the federal jail, he cited chronic staffing issues and employees “not doing their job.”
The OIG’s interview was part of the federal government’s broader investigation into how Epstein, a convicted sex offender awaiting trial on federal trafficking charges, was able to die in custody despite previous suicide attempts and heightened monitoring orders.
Key points:
- The witness was a former Navy police officer and Ocean County College student who worked as a plumbing supervisor at MCC during Epstein’s death.
- He denied knowing the facility’s cameras were not working and said he had minimal contact with Epstein.
- Investigators questioned him about whether staff negligence or communication failures contributed to the breakdown in monitoring.
- The witness told agents he believed Epstein’s death was a suicide but criticized security lapses and staff conduct.
This testimony adds to a growing body of evidence showing disorganization, inadequate staffing, and equipment failures at MCC — all of which have fueled persistent public skepticism about the official account of Epstein’s death.
