A New Orleans sheriff has been indicted for the role she played “in one of the largest jailbreaks” in America’s history.
On May 16, 2025, ten people, including four murderers, escaped from the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans.
“The inmates tore off the toilet-sink appliance in one of the cells, escaped through there and exited the facility through a loading dock, security camera footage reveals,” The Guardian reported at the time.
Convicted Killers on the Run: Orleans Jailbreak Exposes Security Failures
On May 16, 2025, ten inmates escaped from the Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans by exploiting a hole behind a toilet in a cell, with eight still at large, including four convicted of murder.
The… pic.twitter.com/iESsY6btOv
— Police Incidents (@PoliceIncident) May 17, 2025
Almost a full year later, Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson has been indicted on 30 felony charges related to the jailbreak, and Chief Financial Officer Bianka Brown has been indicted on 20 felony counts.
Hutson faces charges of malfeasance in office, conspiracy to commit malfeasance in office, filing or maintaining false public records, conspiracy to commit filing or maintaining false public records, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice.
Brown faces the same charges but fewer counts.
“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,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a statement.
“As my prosecutors move forward with this case, I continue to have productive conversations with Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork on how to improve operations, secure the facility, and build in basic financial oversight that complies with state law. I am confident in her commitment to implement the difficult changes needed to reform the jail,” she added.
🚨🚨🚨BREAKING: Orleans Parish Sheriff, Chief Financial Officer Indicted for Roles in One of the Largest Jailbreaks in the Nation’s History
Nearly a year ago, I made a commitment to the people of New Orleans and the people of our state that those responsible for the Orleans… pic.twitter.com/JswpBcRnic
— Attorney General Liz Murrill (@AGLizMurrill) April 29, 2026
According to CNN, a $300,000 bond has been set for Hutson, and a $200,000 bond has been set for Brown.
Hutson has long maintained that the jailbreak was an inside job, and indeed, one jail staffer has been arrested.
“There were procedural failures and missed notifications, but there were also intentional wrongdoings,” she said last year. “This was a coordinated effort aided by individuals inside our own agency who made the choice to break the law.”
“One arrest has been made, and we are continuing to pursue everyone involved, and that investigation is active and ongoing,” she added.
Also, during a city council meeting last year, she complained that the Orleans Justice Center was operating with “outdated surveillance, aging infrastructure, blind spots in supervision, and critical staffing shortages.”
In response, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry ordered the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections to perform an audit of the jail’s conditions.
Hutson is still on the job but is set to be replaced soon by Sheriff-elect Michelle Woodfork.
“I ran for Sheriff to bring a new era of leadership and accountability, and on Election Night, the people of New Orleans chose a new direction for this office,” she said in a statement following Hutson’s indictment, according to station WGNO.
“Since then, my team has been working diligently to ensure we are ready to lead effectively from day one. This Monday, I will assume leadership of the Sheriff’s Office with a firm commitment to accountability, transparency, and integrity,” she added.
Local attorney Dane Ciolino told the station he was surprised by Hutson’s indictment.
“What the attorney general is alleging is that the sheriff committed intentional malfeasance in office. That is, she intentionally refused or failed to perform her public duties as a public officer,” he said.
“In the first reading of this, it appears to me that this is a sheriff that may have been asleep at the wheel, but does that amount to an intentional criminal act? I don’t know, because we don’t have the facts yet, and the attorney general hasn’t released those facts. She did say that this is an ongoing investigation. So there may be more to come,” he added.
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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