Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy financier accused of sex trafficking, was found unresponsive in his jail cell from an apparent suicide at approximately 6:30 a.m. Saturday, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said in a statement.
Epstein was transported by EMS from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan to a local hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries. He was subsequently pronounced dead by hospital staff.
The FBI is investigating.
Epstein, 66, was charged with sex trafficking of minors and sex trafficking conspiracy in July and was being held without bail. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and would have faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted.
Last month, he was found unconscious in his cell with marks on his neck. Prison officials were investigating that incident as a possible suicide attempt but had not ruled out the possibility that he was attacked or that he had somehow staged the injuries, New York Times reporter Michael Gold told NPR's Weekend Edition.
Get the Exclusive
11.28.2024