Jail employee in New Orleans charged in escape of 10 inmates
In New Orleans, a prison employee named Sterling Williams, 33, has been arrested and charged for allegedly aiding the escape of 10 inmates from a local prison. He faces multiple counts of escape-related charges and malfeasance in office. Reports indicate Williams turned off the water supply to allow inmates to remove a sink and toilet fixture, creating a hole for escape, after they threatened him. the escape went unnoticed by prison guards for seven hours. while four of the escaped inmates have been recaptured, six are still at large. The incident has raised concerns about prison security and staffing shortages, attracting criticism from local officials, including governor Jeff Landry, who described it as potentially the largest jailbreak in state history and emphasized the need for a thorough examination.
Jail employee in New Orleans charged in escape of 10 inmates
An employee of a New Orleans prison was arrested and charged on Monday for allegedly assisting in the escape of 10 inmates on Friday.
Sterling Williams, 33, faces 10 counts of principle to simply escape and one count of malfeasance in office, according to Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office.
“This is a continuing investigation, and we will provide updates as often as possible,” Murrill said in a press release. “We will uncover all the facts eventually and anyone who aided and abetted will be prosecuted to the full extent the law allows.”
Williams shared with federal agents that he turned off the water to allow the inmates to remove a sink and toilet fixture from the wall and escape through a hole in the wall. He said his decision to cooperate with the inmates came after receiving a threat of being attacked “if he did not turn the water off.”
“If the inmates removed the sink in the cell and disconnected the rest of the plumbing with the water still on, the plan to escape would not have been successful and potentially flooded the cell, drawing attention to their actions,” the affidavit states.
The guard on duty, who was not charged, had gone to get food while the escape occurred. The inmates’ absence was unnoticed by guards for seven hours after their escape, which came as the Louisiana prison system has dealt with staffing shortages.
Three employees were suspended last week amid the prison escape investigation, which Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson called an inside job.
“It’s almost impossible, not completely, but almost impossible for anybody to get out of this facility without help,” Hutson.
Four inmates are now back in custody, but six remain at large.
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The prison break has drawn criticism from Gov. Jeff Landry (R-LA), who said this “never should have happened.”
“This massive jailbreak could be the largest jailbreak in the history of the state, and it never should have happened,” Landry said in a statement. “The public deserves to know who, what and how this happened.”
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