New Orleans sheriff indicted in connection with high-profile jail break

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE/Gray News) - The outgoing Orleans Parish sheriff was indicted on 30 felony charges following an investigation into one of Louisiana’s most high-profile jail breaks.

Susan Hutson made her first court appearance Thursday after a special grand jury indicted her on 30 felony charges, including malfeasance, obstruction of justice and fraud.

Hutson is accused of failing to secure the jail and covering up crimes. An arrest affidavit that could provide more details about the allegations has not been made available by the clerk’s office or the attorney general’s office.

The indictment stems from an investigation by the state auditor into a jail break nearly a year ago.

Ten inmates escaped from the Orleans Parish Justice Center in New Orleans on May 16, 2025. According to reports, they slipped through a hole behind a toilet and scaled a wall.

Nine of the inmates were recaptured in the weeks following the escape, but one inmate, identified as Derrick Groves, was on the run for nearly five months before he was caught.

A maintenance worker, identified as Sterling Williams, was arrested on allegations that he helped the inmates escape. A law enforcement source told WVUE he was accused of helping turn off the water to the cell where the inmates escaped.

Hutson’s chief financial officer, Bianka Brown, is also facing charges in connection with the jail break.

Hutson’s bond was set at $300,000, while Brown’s bond was set at $200,000. Both made bail in Jefferson Parish, where they turned themselves in.

The case has been assigned to a different section of Orleans Parish Criminal Court.

Hutson is still serving as sheriff until Michelle Woodfork, who was elected in November, is sworn in Monday.