ToplineA correctional officer at the Manhattan-based prison where Jeffrey Epstein was being held called the FBI about “suspicious” document shredding days after Epstein died, the Miami Herald reported Saturday, as one prison guard faces newfound scrutiny over the financier’s death. Two officers on duty the night Epstein died denied having removed or destroyed documents. AFP via Getty ImagesKey FactsA federal corrections officer at the Metropolitan Correctional Center called the FBI on Aug. 16, 2019, six days after Epstein’s death, to say that he had “never seen this amount of bags of shredded documents” being thrown away, the Herald reported, citing a document released by the Justice Department as part of the Epstein files.The officer, who said they found it “suspicious” that a team tasked with probing Epstein’s death would be shredding documents with nearby federal officials also tasked with investigating, told the FBI that an inmate said they were tasked with throwing the documents away.In a memo to investigators on Aug. 19, 2019, a back gate corrections officer said he witnessed an inmate bringing “bales” of shredded documents to throw into a dumpster, and that the inmate told them that Federal Bureau of Prisons officials were “shredding everything.”That officer suggested to the FBI that “this conduct may be inappropriate” for an investigative team and “you may want to investigate why BOP employees were destroying records.”Steven Lopez, who was identified as removing the shredded documents, told the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General “no” when asked if he had any information or overheard anyone talk about shredding documents, adding, “No idea what, if anything, was shredded, just did usual trash bin runs.”Tova Noel and Michael Thomas, the two prison guards on duty the night Epstein was found dead in his jail cell, replied “no” when asked if they ever removed or destroyed any of Epstein’s paperwork, the Herald reported.Documentation of a corrections officer's call to the FBI.Justice DepartmentAnother officer describing shredded documents.Justice DepartmentWhat To Watch ForWhether the House Oversight Committee receives testimony from Noel. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., requested Noel to testify after newly released documents raised questions about her actions the night Epstein died. The guard was online shopping and searching the internet, including for information about Epstein, and performed searches for “latest on Epstein in jail” the morning he was found. Chase Bank also flagged to the FBI suspicious payments made to Noel’s account in 2018 and 2019, the largest of which came days before Epstein’s death. No formal subpoena has been issued to Noel as of Saturday.Key BackgroundBoth Thomas and Noel have faced scrutiny over their actions in the lead-up to Epstein’s death, including their actions the morning he was found. Noel and Thomas admitted to investigators that they had falsified records indicating they had checked on Epstein every 30 minutes before he was found dead in his cell. The pair was charged with falsifying prison records, though prosecutors later dropped these charges and the case against them was dismissed.Further ReadingForbesWhy Epstein’s Prison Guard Is Now Under Scrutiny For His DeathBy Zachary Folk