Jeffrey Epstein Reportedly Found Injured, 'Semi-Conscious With Marks On His Neck' In Jail Cell

A photograph of Jeffrey Epstein from the New York Sex Offender Registry

Financier Jeffrey Epstein was "found injured and in a fetal position inside his cell" at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, according to NBC New York.

Epstein, a registered sex offender who previously served prison time in a sweetheart deal from a Florida federal prosecutor's office, is in custody as he faces federal sex trafficking charges. Prosecutors say he lured underage girls to give him massages that turned sexual, and encouraged his victims to recruit other girls. It's believed he's preyed upon dozens of people.

Last week Epstein attempted to make bail and live under "mansion arrest" in his $77 million Upper East Side townhouse, but a judge refused, noting his vast resources.

Per NBC New York:

Two sources tell News 4 that Epstein may have tried to hang himself, while a third source cautioned that the injuries were not serious and questioned if Epstein might be using it as a way to get a transfer.

A fourth source said an assault has not been ruled out, and that another inmate was questioned. The inmate who investigators have talked to in Lower Manhattan facility has been identified as Nicholas Tartaglione, according to two sources. Tartaglione is a former police officer in Westchester County who was arrested in December 2016 and accused of killing four men in an alleged cocaine distribution conspiracy, then burying their bodies in his yard in Otisville in Orange County, according to court records.

The Daily Beast's source said that Epstein was originally in general population and "moved to solitary protective custody after other inmates had threatened him."

The Daily Beast also spoke to Tartaglione's attorney, Bruce Barket, who said that his client was not questioned, "alleg[ing] that his name was leaked by someone at the jail in retaliation for complaints about 'hellhole' conditions there." Barket also said that his law partner saw Epstein with his defense team on Wednesday morning—"he looked fine.”

Epstein was taken to a hospital, according to the Post. Update: The Federal Bureau of Prisons says Epstein is not in a hospital:

The Metropolitan Correctional Center has been described as a "gulag" with "filthy conditions, vermin infestations, substandard medical care, and violence and abuse at the hands of guards."

Ever since Epstein's arrest this summer, more victims have been coming forward.