The warden at the New York federal prison where accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was found dead over the weekend has been temporarily reassigned by the Bureau of Prisons on orders of Attorney General Willian Barr, The Hill reported Tuesday.
Justice Spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said the warden at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan, Shirley Skipper-Scott, would be reassigned to the bureau's Northeast Regional Office while a federal probe looks into the circumstances surrounding Epstein's death.
James Petrucci, the warden at the federal prison in Otisville, New York, will serve as acting warden of the MCC, The Washington Times reported.
In addition, two staff members assigned to Epstein's unit at the MCC have been placed on administrative leave, according to The Hill. Kupec said more actions might be taken.
The moves came a day after Barr expressed outrage Epstein was left unsecured.
At a law enforcement conference in New Orleans on Monday, Barr said, "We are now learning of serious irregularities at this facility that are deeply concerning and that demand a thorough investigation," adding, "We will get to the bottom of what happened at the MCC and we will hold people accountable for this failure."
Epstein was found dead of apparent suicide in his cell Saturday morning. He had been placed on suicide watch in late July after reportedly being found with marks on his neck, raising suspicions he had attempted suicide.
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