NEW ORLEANS, La. — A maintenance worker at the Orleans Justice Center has been arrested in connection with the escape of ten inmates from the facility last Friday, Channel2 NOW has learned.

Sterling Williams, 33, was booked Monday on 10 counts of principal to simple escape and one count of malfeasance in office.

Williams, employed as a maintenance worker at the jail, is accused of facilitating the escape by turning off the water supply to a cell where inmates later escaped through a hole behind a toilet.

After his arrest, Williams was transferred to another detention facility for safety reasons.

Sources say Williams told investigators he was threatened with violence by inmate Antoine Massey, who allegedly warned he would “shank” Williams if he did not comply.

According to security footage, the inmates used the compromised cell to break through a wall and exit the facility via a supply dock.

At the time of the escape, three surveillance cameras in the unit were reportedly offline. The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO) has acknowledged the jailbreak was aided by “defective locks” and possible internal assistance.

Four of the ten escapees have since been recaptured. Gary Price, one of the fugitives, was arrested Monday by State Police in New Orleans East.

Home surveillance video captured Price surrendering with his hands raised. Price was being held on attempted first-degree murder charges.

Six inmates remain at large and are considered armed and dangerous. Among them:

• Derrick Groves, convicted in a 2018 double homicide and additional shootings on Mardi Gras Day.
• Antoine Massey, held on domestic abuse and vehicle theft charges, with a long history of escapes dating back to 2007. He is also wanted in St. Tammany Parish for kidnapping and rape.
• Lenton Vanburen, charged with a 2021 homicide in New Orleans East.
• Jermaine Donald, facing charges of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery, weapons violations, and obstruction of justice.
• Leo Tate, awaiting trial on burglary, drug, and firearms charges.
• Corey Boyd, accused of fatally shooting Brandon Fees during a car burglary in 2024.

The ongoing escape has left families of victims shaken. One father, whose son testified against a fugitive, expressed his fear: “Everybody’s on edge right now… I just refuse to live in fear.” Another mother reported fleeing the city with her children: “My baby is scared. He won’t let my hand go.”

Governor Jeff Landry has ordered a comprehensive investigation and issued multiple executive orders in response.

While Sheriff Susan Hutson has not responded to calls for her resignation, pressure is mounting. City Councilmember Helena Moreno and State Representative Aimee Freeman are demanding a full audit of the Sheriff’s Office. Moreno criticized the delayed public alert as “malfeasance in office.”

A previous report by a federal jail monitor warned of lax supervision and declining compliance since Hutson assumed office.

The New Orleans City Council’s Criminal Justice Committee is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting to examine the incident. Representatives from OPSO, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), Louisiana State Police, Troop NOLA, Homeland Security, and the city’s Communications District are expected to attend.

Nonprofit Project NOLA, which helped spot two escapees in the French Quarter, criticized NOPD for opting out of real-time facial recognition alerts, potentially hindering law enforcement efforts.

The public is urged to remain vigilant. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the six fugitives should contact 911, CrimeStoppers at (504) 822-1111, or submit an anonymous tip at fbi.gov/neworleansfugitives. A $20,000 reward is being offered per inmate for information leading to an arrest.