A former cellmate of Jeffrey Epstein has claimed that Epstein was told by New York federal prosecutors that he could be released if he implicated Donald Trump. Nicholas Tartaglione, who was arrested on murder charges, shared a cell with Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan after Epstein’s arrest on child sex trafficking charges in July 2019.
Tartaglione, now 57, reported that Epstein mentioned prosecutors offering to let him go in exchange for snitching on the President. In a clemency petition filed in July, he stated, “Prosecutors told Epstein in his petition for clemency that if President Trump implicated him in his crimes, he would be released.”
According to Tartaglione, Epstein claimed that lead prosecutor Maureen Comey indicated that the burden of proof was largely on Trump’s inner circle. He allegedly said, “According to Maureen Comey, the FBI was not his staff, it was her staff.”
The nature of the crime involving Trump was not specified. While Epstein faced serious charges at the time of his death, he was also rumored to be involved in multiple other illicit activities, including financial fraud and extortion.
Comey, who was handling Tartaglione’s case, was dismissed by the Justice Department in July, and attempts to reach her for comment were unsuccessful. The Justice Department also did not respond.
Tartaglione added in his petition that Epstein asserted President Trump had no part in his alleged crimes. Their time together lasted until Epstein’s first suicide attempt on July 23, 2019, after which he was placed on suicide watch.
Epstein was found dead in his cell on August 10, 2019, with authorities ruling it a suicide. Questions about the security procedures at the facility remain, as many observers noted the lack of typical protocols.
Tartaglione, a former K9 officer, was convicted of four murders related to a drug deal that went wrong, where he believed his associates had stolen a significant amount of money.
In his clemency application, he argued the prosecution was faulty, claiming that evidence was manipulated to frame him. He alleged that a cellphone linked to the case was seized and altered to include his name in contacts, and that video evidence was tampered with.
Moreover, he stated that a key witness, Joseph Biggs, had met with prosecutors on numerous occasions before testifying and provided fabricated information during the trial. Biggs eventually received a reduced sentence after cooperating with the authorities, despite his involvement in the case.
When Tartaglione was convicted in 2024, the presiding judge criticized him harshly, suggesting he cared more about his animals than the people he murdered. Tartaglione, in his claims following Epstein’s death, alleged there were multiple attempts on his life, which left him with serious injuries.
