New Orleans sheriff indicted for allegedly failing to prevent jailbreak and escape of 10 inmates

U.S. newsNew Orleans sheriff indicted for allegedly failing to prevent jailbreak and escape of 10 inmatesThe charges include malfeasance in public office, filing or maintaining false records, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy, officials said. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson during a news conference in 2025.NBC NewsShareAdd NBC News to GoogleApril 30, 2026, 7:29 AM EDTBy Patrick SmithA New Orleans sheriff has been indicted with 30 felony offenses in connection with a jail break last May, where 10 inmates escaped.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Wednesday that Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson had been indicted by a special grand jury convened to investigate the May 16 escape at the Orleans Justice Center. “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,” Murrill said in a statement.The 30-count indictment in charges includes malfeasance in public office, filing or maintaining false records, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy to commit these alleged offenses. Her bond was set at $300,000.The sheriff's chief financial officer, Bianka Brown, was also indicted on the same charges but on 20 counts. Her bond was set at $200,000. The sheriff's office for comment did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment. It wasn't immediately clear if either defendant had legal representation.Inmates wrenched a bathroom fixture from a cell, left taunting messages on a wall, then crawled past sawed-off steel bars.Orleans Paris Sheriff's OfficeIn their May escape, inmates were seen on security footage fleeing the jail and had left crude graffiti that boasted “To Easy Lol,” over the hole t...