Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has announced the arrest of a jail employee in connection with the inmate escape at the Orleans Justice Center.

On May 16, 2025, Special Agents assigned to the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, the criminal investigative division of the Louisiana Department of Justice, and deputies assigned to the Orleans Parish Criminal Sheriff’s Office Internal Affairs Division initiated an investigation into the escape of ten inmates from the sheriff’s office custody. 

During this investigation, investigators interviewed 33-year-old Sterling Williams, who was employed as a maintenance worker at the Sheriff’s Office at the time the inmates escaped.

Williams admitted to agents that one of the escapees advised him to turn the water off in the cell where the inmates escaped from. Instead of reporting the inmate, Williams turned the water off as directed allowing the inmates to carry out their scheme to successfully escape.      

Special Agents secured an arrest warrant for Williams for violations of Louisiana law.

He was charged with:

• L.R.S. 14:24,110 - Principal to Simple Escape (10 counts)
• L.R.S. 14:134 - Malfeasance In Office 

“This is a continuing investigation, and we will provide updates as often as possible. We will uncover all the facts eventually and anyone who aided and abetted will be prosecuted to the full extent the law allows. I encourage anyone who knows anything and even those who may have provided assistance to come forward now to obtain the best possible outcome in their particular case," said Attorney General Murrill.

Williams was placed under arrest and booked without incident into the Orleans Parish Jail, then relocated to a different facility.

The investigation is ongoing.

*All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.