Guards in Metropolitan Correctional Center threatened accused killer Nicholas Tartaglione if he shares information about the death of his former cellmate Jeffrey Epstein, according to a letter filed Tuesday by Tartaglione's lawyer.

Tartaglione and his lawyer, Bruce Barket, should "'shut up,' 'stop talking' and 'stop complaining' to name a few of the comments various guards have made," Barket said in the letter federal court judge Kenneth Karas.

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"The clear message Mr. Tartaglione has received is that if he conveys information about the facility or about the recent suicide, there will be a price to pay," Barket said in the letter.

"Whether or not the investigators into the suicide chose to interview Mr. Tartaglione about the attempted suicide to which he was witness or about how the facility is run and the conditions under which the inmates are forced to live, the correction officers know he has information potentially very damaging to the very people now charged with guarding him or their coworkers."

Barket also said jail conditions for Tartaglione in the Metropolitan Correctional Center are "deplorable."

He said that there's a "serious" rodent and insect infestation, there's mold on the sink in his cell that he is forced to drink from, he's not permitted to shower regularly or go outside, water leaks into his cell and he's not regularly receiving mail or newspapers.

Tartaglione's lawyer asked the court to move Tartaglione to another detention facility in the metropolitan area, such as the Nassau County Correctional Center or

Westchester County Jail.

Tartaglione, a former Briarcliff Manor police officer, is in federal custody awaiting trial in connection with the alleged killing of four men in Orange County.

Tartaglione was accused of assaulting Epstein, a wealthy financier who was accused of child sex trafficking, at the end of July. Epstein was found on July 25 in his cell, lying in a fetal position, semi-conscious, with marks on his neck, wnbcnewyork.com reported.

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Barket said Tartaglione never attacked Epstein and "any suggestion that Mr. Tartaglione assaulted anyone is a complete fabrication."

Following Epstein’s death, Barket said he hoped that any probe into Epstein’s suicide “should be broad enough to examine the deplorable conditions inmates are forced to endure at the MCC.

“I was sorry to learn of Mr. Epstein’s suicide,” Barket said then. “I hope there is a thorough investigation into how this occurred despite the Bureau of Prisons being on notice that Mr. Epstein had already attempted suicide at least once.”

Barket has assailed published reports that Epstein claimed to his lawyers that Tartaglione had assaulted him. The lawyer said that Epstein was using the assault claim to get out of suicide watch, a ploy that clearly worked.

Investigators are looking into the possibility that Epstein might have tried to hang himself, or that it might have been a ruse to try to get transferred, according to NBC, which also reported Epstein was on suicide watch.

Despite being on suicide watch, Epstein was found death in his jail cell on Aug. 10. His death has been ruled a suicide.

The Journal News/lohud reporter Jon Bandler contributed to this report.

Twitter: @ChrisEberhart2