Latest / The Epstein Chronicles / Tova Noel And The Transcript From Her Congressional Testimony (Part 3) (6/19/26)
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: What's up, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the
- 0:02Epstein Chronicles. In this episode, we're going to pick up
- 0:05where he left off with the Tauvin o Well transcript
- 0:09from her meeting with Congress. Question, you mentioned that you
- 0:13worked with the senior officer and then there were also
- 0:15people above you while you were on your shift. Did
- 0:18you have a good relationship with those people that you
- 0:20work with? Answer yes. Question have you ever had any
- 0:24issues with any of your colleagues? Answer no, Well, that's
- 0:28not what the captain told us. Remember in the OIG
- 0:31interview that we did with the captain what he said
- 0:33about Tovin No, well, that's interesting. Question would anyone else
- 0:38ever instruct you on how to do your role while
- 0:40in the shoe? Answer no. Question what kind of authority
- 0:43did you have to make a decision? Answer I would
- 0:46say I didn't have authority to make decisions. I was
- 0:49just a correctional officer. Question Okay, I believe we have
- 0:53another member that's entered. Would you please introduce yourself for
- 0:56the record. Good morning on Melanie Stansbury present New Mexico's
- 1:01first congressional district. Thank you. Question, while you were in
- 1:06the shoe, what cell blocks or areas where you were
- 1:08responsible for overseeing? Answer all of them. Question okay, how
- 1:12many cell blocks total we're in the shoe? Answer six question?
- 1:16Who can access the shoe? Answer from the outside question
- 1:20uh huh? Answer anyone can access the shoe from the
- 1:23outside if control pops the door and lets you win?
- 1:27Answer or question by everyone? Do you mean mcc staff?
- 1:31Answer correct question? Okay, so it's not closed off to
- 1:34shoe employees? Answer correct question. Could you walk us through
- 1:39the procedures required for conducting cell checks as an officer
- 1:42in the shoe? Answer a cell check? Question like rounds?
- 1:46Doing your rounds? Answer okay, so during the rounds, there
- 1:50is an officer that opens the grill, which is the
- 1:52door of the tier, and then the other officer goes
- 1:55down and checks on every single person and come around
- 1:58check on every single person and exit question when you
- 2:02say check on every person? Answer seeing and a live
- 2:05breathing body? Question would that require you to enter the cell?
- 2:08Answer no? Question okay. Would you look through a window?
- 2:12Answer a window? Question? Would you talk to them? Answer sometimes?
- 2:16Question okay, can you describe how you would access the
- 2:19shoe when you would start your shift? Answer when I
- 2:22get to the door. Control has to let me in
- 2:25the first door. Then when you come through the door,
- 2:27there's a second door, and the officer on the inside
- 2:30has to let you in the second door. Question so
- 2:33you would say that's two layers of security to be
- 2:36able to get in. Would you have to scan in?
- 2:38Did you have a badge or anything like that? Answer? No?
- 2:42Question I understand MCC is a high rise building. Answer
- 2:46correct question would you go up an elevator to get
- 2:49to the shoe? Answer correct? Question? Okay, what floor was
- 2:53the shoe on? Answer the ninth floor? Question out of
- 2:56how many? Answer ten? Question? Do you think there was
- 3:00any reason why it was as high up as it was? Answer?
- 3:03I don't know. Question okay, could you explain to us
- 3:06the layout of the shoe block or the shoe unit
- 3:09at the MCC. Answer So, when you enter the shoe
- 3:12and you walk towards the center the common area, there's
- 3:15a desk with computers. Before the desks there are two
- 3:18tiers up and down. Then to the if you're facing
- 3:21the desk left in the middle, there's two more tiers
- 3:25up and down, and then off to the far left
- 3:27there's the last two tiers up and down. So it's
- 3:30really like a circle. It's like the desk, and then
- 3:33two tiers, two tiers, two tiers, and then going up
- 3:37the last set of tiers, you could go up the
- 3:40ten south wing. Question so does that make it two
- 3:43or three tiers total? Answer? Well, ten South is technically
- 3:46not connected, so in shoe it's still six. But you
- 3:50can access the door there that goes to ten South,
- 3:52which is another unit. Question Okay, that's not included in
- 3:56the shoe. Answer correct. Question. How many inmates are typically
- 3:59housed in the shoe? Answer shoe. It varies because the
- 4:03shoe doesn't have to be full, because people are placed
- 4:06in the shoe for different reasons, so it could be
- 4:08any number. Question why would inmates go to the shoe?
- 4:11Answer Some inmates go to the shoe. Answer Some inmates
- 4:15go to the shoe for disciplinary segregation. Some inmates go
- 4:18because they have to be separated, some go because their
- 4:21high profile. Question would they ever go for mental health reasons? Answer?
- 4:25I'm not sure. Question how long did inmates typically stay
- 4:29in the shoe? Answer I don't know. Question you mentioned
- 4:32some inmates would go to the shoe for disciplinary reasons.
- 4:35Some would go for the fact that they were high
- 4:36profile Why was mister Epstein sent to the shoe? Answer
- 4:40mister Epstein was in the shoe because he was a
- 4:42high profile inmate. Question and not because of his mental
- 4:45health issues at the time. Answer correct. Question. Okay, is
- 4:49there any reason why shoe inmates would be assigned to
- 4:52a cell in the upper tier versus lower tier? Answer
- 4:56no question, So like a high profile inmate wouldn't go
- 4:59to an upper tier versus the lower tier? Answer no. Question. Okay,
- 5:03Where was mister Epstein cell located within the shoe? Answer
- 5:08as soon as you enter the shoe the first two
- 5:10tiers he was on the top tier the first door
- 5:12to You're right? Question do you know the name of
- 5:15the staircase that he would have been next to? Answer?
- 5:18I can't remember. She gets cut off? Does l tier?
- 5:22He gets cut off now by her? I was gonna say,
- 5:24I think it's sell. Where was mister Epstein cell in
- 5:27relation to your station? Answer? So the cell block when
- 5:31you go up the stairs, the desk is like right
- 5:33off to the left as far as feet go, I
- 5:35don't know. Question was your station on the same level
- 5:38as mister Epstein? Sell? No, he would have been up
- 5:41the stairs and the desk would have been on the ground.
- 5:44Answers noel. Question would you estimate about how long it
- 5:48would take for you to walk to a cell? Answer? Oh,
- 5:51to walk like two minutes. Question I know you mentioned
- 5:55him previously, but who is Officer Michael Thomas? Answer? Officer
- 5:59Michael Thomas is the materials handler officer that worked with
- 6:02me on August tenth, twenty nineteen, from midnight to eight
- 6:06in the morning. Question did he work the four pm
- 6:09to midnight shift on August ninth? Answer? No? Question who
- 6:13worked that shift with you? Answer Davis and bon HAMI
- 6:17question how long had you an Officer Thomas worked together
- 6:20in the shoe? Answer that was my first time working
- 6:23with Officer Thomas. Question it doesn't seem like there was
- 6:27that many correctional officers working in the shoe. Was it
- 6:30just happenstance, happen chance that you work with them? Answer yeah.
- 6:35Question Okay, had you guys worked together before in any
- 6:39other mcc unit? Answer no, we never worked any units before.
- 6:43Question you mentioned he was a senior correctional officer. Answer yeah.
- 6:48Question would that make him technically your supervisor? Answer so
- 6:52he wouldn't be my supervisor. He was a correctional officer
- 6:55before and then he got promoted to materials handler, but
- 6:58not making him my supervisor. Question so you both had
- 7:02authority to make your decisions while on shift? Answer yes.
- 7:05Question did you consider him? I know he said you'll
- 7:08only work with them one shift with them, but in
- 7:10that time, did you consider him to be a good employee? Answer? No? Question?
- 7:14Why not? Answer because he was tired? Question from working
- 7:18long shifts? Answer correct question overtime shifts? Answer overtime question
- 7:24mandated overtime shifts? Answer yes. Question did you and mister
- 7:28Thomas have a good working relationship? Answer That was actually
- 7:32my first time working with them, so I would say
- 7:34we didn't have any relationship. Question Okay, did y'all speak
- 7:38during your shift? Answer yes? Question do you remember what
- 7:41you discussed? Answer? I went to him to conduct the count,
- 7:45and he expressed to me that he was tired. Question
- 7:48So because he was tired, he wouldn't do the count?
- 7:51Answer correct question. So what was your response to that? Answer? Okay? Question,
- 7:55So did you in fact do the count by yourself?
- 7:58Answer at ten pm? Question okay? Answer improperly, noel. Just
- 8:03to clarify, Thomas goes on at twelve that count that
- 8:06I did at ten wouldn't have been when he was there.
- 8:09When he was there, I didn't do any Question when
- 8:13did you leave the MCC Tovia Noel, August tenth. Mister
- 8:19Grant jumps in. You mentioned that you did ten PM
- 8:21count improperly? What about that made it and proper Noel,
- 8:25because I did it by myself. An account is supposed
- 8:28to be conducted with two people, mister Grant. Thank you. Noel,
- 8:31You're welcome. Questions again now by miss fire event. Question,
- 8:36So you left August tenth, twenty nineteen. Why did you leave? Answer?
- 8:41That was my morning. My shift was over at eight am.
- 8:44Question Okay, maybe I should clarify leave MCC meaning when
- 8:48did you stop working for Metropolitan? Answer as in, so,
- 8:52the last day I was in the building was August
- 8:54tenth when they terminated me. I don't remember the date,
- 8:58mister Floyd, but that was it was years later though, Noel, yeah,
- 9:05years later. Question were you terminated from MCC as a
- 9:09result of what happened in the morning of August tenth, twenty nineteen? Answer? Correct?
- 9:14Question was there an internal review that was conducted by
- 9:17MCC following the incident of Jeffrey Epstein's death. Answer yes.
- 9:22Question was there one conducted by the Federal Bureau at Prisons?
- 9:26Answer yes. Question were you interviewed as part of those reviews?
- 9:30Answer yes, question what were the findings of those What
- 9:35were you asked about in those reviews? Do you recall? Answer?
- 9:38I was asked about the culture of MCC, the mandations,
- 9:41the counts, the rounds. Question and what did you tell
- 9:45either MCC or BOP about the culture and everything you
- 9:48just mentioned? Answer? I spoke about how often we were
- 9:52mandated to work. As a result of that, the job
- 9:55was not performed accurately because people were retired and I
- 9:58attempted to do the count the rounds, but it has
- 10:01to be conducted with two people, so if the other
- 10:03person is tired, then it cannot be carried out accurately.
- 10:07I also took accountability for performing my job and duties inaccurately.
- 10:12Question thank you, answer you're welcome. Question why was mister
- 10:16Epstein moved to the shoe? Answer? I don't know. Question
- 10:20when did you first learn that Jeffrey Epstein was being
- 10:22moved to the shoe? Answer? When Epstein came in, he
- 10:26went straight to the shoe, so moved like cell block
- 10:28or moved like into the shoe. Question into the shoe.
- 10:32Answer he came into the shoe. Question Okay, do you
- 10:35remember the date of that. Answer? He came in July
- 10:38of twenty nineteen. Question were there any discussions amongst the
- 10:42MCC staff, or specifically the shoe staff, that Jeffrey Epstein
- 10:46was going to be incarcerated at MCC? Answer no question.
- 10:51Was he known to you or to others to the
- 10:53best of your knowledge before he was incarcerated? Answer so
- 10:57for others, I don't know. For me, no question. So
- 11:00for the record, did you know who mister Epstein was
- 11:02at the time? Answer no question. Had you ever personally
- 11:07spoken to mister Epstein prior to him being moved to
- 11:10the shoe? Answer moved. He came to the shoe in July,
- 11:14and I worked in the shoe from June, So to me,
- 11:16he wasn't moved. He was always in the shoe. Question Okay,
- 11:20I'll rephrase it. So did you ever speak with mister
- 11:22Epstein prior to him being in jail? Answer no. So
- 11:28mister Epstein, as we all know now, was a high
- 11:31profile figure. That's why he was moved into the shoe
- 11:34and his case was pretty widely known and reported on
- 11:37before he was incarcerated at MCC. Were any aspects of
- 11:41his case or any of his crimes discussed amongst MCC
- 11:44staff Answer no, not to me. Question No one, to
- 11:49your knowledge spoke about mister Epstein. Answer to me, no question. Okay.
- 11:54How long was mister Epstein in MCC before his death
- 11:57on August tenth, twenty nineteen. Answer he came in in
- 12:01July to August tenth. Question, and you were assigned to
- 12:05work the shoe for the entire time that mister Epstein
- 12:08was held there is that correct answer? Correct question? Roughly?
- 12:12How many ships did you work during the time mister
- 12:14Epstein was in the shoe? Answer I don't know to
- 12:17give you an actual number, but from June to August tenth?
- 12:20Question June is when you started working in the shoe
- 12:23Answer correct question. Okay, But mister Epstein didn't get there
- 12:28old July. And you said earlier that you worked four
- 12:30or five times a week. Answer uh huh. Question shifts
- 12:33a week? Answer correct question sixteen hour shifts? Answer sixteen
- 12:38question okay? While you were on shift? Were you directly
- 12:41responsible for mister Epstein's cell? Answer no question, how so? Answer,
- 12:46I was responsible for all the inmates in the shoe,
- 12:49not mister Epstein cell. Question sure, but mister Epstein cell
- 12:52was included in all of the cells that you were
- 12:54responsible for. Answer yeah, question okay, how often were you
- 12:59required to check his sell when you were on duty?
- 13:02Answered the standard required time conducting irregular thirty minute rounds
- 13:06in counts. Question So could you kind of help me
- 13:10explain this a little bit? So you did rounds that
- 13:12were every half hour. Answer yes, question, but then the
- 13:16counts were different than the rounds. Answer yes, question how
- 13:19so answer the counts were conducted so like I started four,
- 13:23there's four, there's a ten midnight, three am, and five am,
- 13:29and you're responsible for each of those counts. Answer yes.
- 13:34Let me just clarify. So on the four there's three
- 13:36of us working, so there's two people that have to count.
- 13:39So I don't necessarily have to count, it just has
- 13:42to be two people. Question and this was the same
- 13:45requirement the counts in the rounds for all inmates that
- 13:48were housed in the shoe. Answer shoe correct question. Okay,
- 13:52what's the difference between account and a round in terms
- 13:55of what you were actually doing or looking for or
- 13:58your responsibilities at the time. Question, Because account you're counting
- 14:02and also making sure that you're seeing a live breathing body.
- 14:05But around is just seeing a live breathing body. You're
- 14:07not necessarily counting how many people are in there? Question?
- 14:11So the rounds were a bit more relaxed, so to speak.
- 14:15Answer correct question. So what were the goals or purposes
- 14:19of a round an account? I know you just mentioned it,
- 14:22but answer A round would be to make sure that
- 14:24everyone's okay. Account would be to account that the amount
- 14:27of people that are housed in there. Question. Okay, they
- 14:32go off the record, then they come back on. All right, folks,
- 14:36we're going to wrap up right here, and in the
- 14:37next episode we're going to pick up where we left off.
- 14:40All the information that goes with this episode can be
- 14:43found in the description box.