Man awating trial in quadruple Chester homicide did not assault Epstein, his lawyer says

(AP) A lawyer for Nicholas Tartaglione denied local news reports on July 25 that his client was a suspect in a possible assault on financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Tartaglione is a former suburban New York police officer awaiting trial on charges he was involved in the kidnapping and killing of four men at the Likquid Lounge in Chester in 2016. He and Epstein are both incarcerated at the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City.
The attorney, Bruce Barket, suggested that the allegations were leaked by someone “trying to embarrass Epstein and cast some shade on Nick."
Epstein was found on the floor of his jail cell with bruises on his neck while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, a person familiar with the matter said.
It was not clear whether the injuries were self-inflicted or from an assault, said the person, who was not authorized to discuss the case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Epstein, 66, was treated and, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, remains in custody.
It was not clear whether Epstein had any cellmates or was being held by himself. The jail is famous for its tight security and notorious inmates, who have included terrorists, Wall Street schemers and, until recently, Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo" Guzman.
Epstein has been accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls in the early 2000s. A judge denied him bail last week, ruling that he might flee the country if released.
Notorious inmates — and those accused of sex crimes against children — are often given extra protection against attacks from other prisoners. But it was not immediately clear what precautions, if any, were taken in Epstein's case.
“It would have been an extremely poor decision to cell him with any other inmate. He's too high-profile, a confirmed sex offender of underage females and suspected of human trafficking," said Cameron Lindsay, a retired warden who ran three federal lockups. “In the subculture of jails and prisons, it's a badge of honor to take a guy out like that."
Related stories
Please see these related stories at chroniclenewspaper.com:
"Ex-police officer charged in quadruple murders at Likquid Lounge"
"Death penalty prosecution planned for man charged in Chester quadruple homicide"