New Orleans sheriff, jail finance chief indicted on dozens of charges tied to 10-inmate escape
A New Orleans sheriff and the jail’s chief financial officer have been indicted on dozens of charges connected to the escape of 10 inmates from the Orleans Parish Justice Center in May 2025.
A special grand jury returned a 30-count indictment against Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson and jail CFO Bianka Brown. All of Hutson’s charges are felonies, while 20 of Brown’s charges are also felonies. Hutson’s bond was set at $300,000, and Brown’s at $200,000.
Authorities allege failures in oversight and compliance contributed to the breakout. “While Sheriff Hutson did not personally open the doors of the jail for the escapees, her refusal to comply with basic legal requirements and to take even minimal precautions in the discharge of her duties directly contributed to and enabled the escape,” Attorney General Liz Murrill said.
Both women face charges including malfeasance in office, filing or maintaining false public records, and obstruction of justice.
The escape occurred on May 16, 2025, when 10 inmates removed a toilet from a wall inside the jail and fled through an opening behind it. The breach happened around 12:23 a.m. but was not discovered for roughly eight hours.
All 10 inmates were eventually recaptured over time. Some were taken into custody the same day, while others remained at large for months. The final fugitive, Derrick Groves, was arrested in Atlanta on Oct. 8 following a standoff with law enforcement. He has since been convicted of murder.
Investigators also charged a maintenance worker with assisting the escape by shutting off water to the toilet, and two women were accused of helping the inmates after they fled.
Following the incident, Hutson pointed to systemic issues inside the facility, including outdated surveillance, staffing shortages, and infrastructure problems. She said about 1,400 inmates were housed at the jail at the time, describing the population as exceeding what staffing levels could properly manage.
“We are operating with outdated surveillance, aging infrastructure, blind spots in supervision, and critical staffing shortages,” she said at a city council hearing. “These vulnerabilities have been raised repeatedly in our funding requests, and now, the consequences are undeniable.”
The jail later received $15 million for upgrades and announced a three-year accreditation from the American Correctional Association, which is widely considered a top standard in corrections.
Hutson, who received 17% of the vote in her reelection bid last year, said the escape has overshadowed her work in office.
“It’s not going to define me,” she said. “That whole story hasn’t been told yet, but I hope it is told.”
Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork is scheduled to be sworn in on Monday.
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