Judge orders charges dropped against Epstein jail guards

Jeffrey Epstein (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP)

A judge has ordered charges dropped against two US prison guards who admitted falsifying records after Jeffrey Epstein took his own life in jail more than two years ago.

The guards – Tova Noel and Michael Thomas – had agreed to deferred prosecution deals last May that required them to admit their guilt with the understanding that charges in a federal indictment would be dismissed if they followed the rules of their agreement for six months.