A New Orleans jail custodian received a 2.5-year prison sentence on Thursday, October 15, 2026, for his role in one of the largest jailbreaks in recent American history — the escape of 10 inmates through a hole behind a toilet at the Orleans Parish jail in May 2025. Sterling Williams, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of malfeasance in office for clearing the way for the audacious breakout.
TL;DR: Jail worker Sterling Williams was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison (plus 2.5 years suspended and three years’ probation) after pleading guilty to malfeasance in office. Prosecutors said he shut off the water to a cell, letting 10 inmates remove a toilet and escape through a gap in the wall. The inmates left behind graffiti reading “To Easy LoL.”
Photo: Orleans Parish Justice Center complex in New Orleans. (Bureau of Governmental Research)
How the Jailbreak Happened
On May 16, 2025, after Williams shut off the water in a cell, the 10 inmates removed a toilet, crawled through a gap in the wall behind it, and scaled a fence out of the jail. They left behind a scrawled graffiti note reading “To Easy LoL,” a mocking taunt that amplified the embarrassment facing jail officials as the scale of the escape became clear.
The breakout stunned authorities and triggered a massive, multi-state manhunt. It also exposed serious security failures at the jail, which officials later acknowledged was operating with only about 60 percent of its needed staffing.
“He Failed to Follow Protocol”
Williams’ attorney, Michael Kennedy, said Williams did not intentionally help the escapees but acknowledged his client made mistakes. Williams should have had a work order generated before shutting off the water for the clogged toilet, his attorney said.
“He does admit that he failed to follow protocol in a job as a public employee, and that it is possible that those actions aided in a plan hatched by 10 inmates to escape,” Kennedy said. “But again, without Mr. Williams’ knowledge.”
The Deal
An additional 2.5 years of Williams’ sentence is suspended, and he will also receive three years of probation. As part of the plea agreement, the state dropped 10 charges against him of being a principal to aggravated escape — charges that each carried a potential sentence of up to 10 years in Louisiana.
All 10 Escapees Recaptured
All 10 of the inmates were eventually captured, though the final recapture took months. One escapee, convicted murderer Derrick Groves, managed to evade authorities for nearly five months before being discovered hiding beneath a house in Atlanta in October 2025. Groves was later sentenced to two life terms for a 2018 double murder.
The 10 escapees are all facing charges of aggravated escape and are scheduled for jury trial in April. The manhunt’s net widened far beyond the escapees themselves: along with Williams, at least 14 other people — many of them friends and family of the escapees — were arrested and accused of aiding the fugitives by providing food, cash, transport, and shelter.
Sources: Associated Press via Corrections1, Associated Press, 2025 New Orleans jailbreak background
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sterling Williams?
Sterling Williams, 34, was a custodian at the Orleans Parish jail in New Orleans. In October 2026 he was sentenced to prison for his role in the May 2025 escape of 10 inmates.
What did Williams do?
Prosecutors said Williams shut off the water to a cell, which allowed the inmates to remove a toilet and crawl through a hole in the wall behind it. His attorney said he did not intentionally help them but admitted he failed to follow workplace protocol.
What was his sentence?
Williams received 2.5 years in prison, with an additional 2.5 years suspended, plus three years of probation. Prosecutors dropped 10 aggravated-escape charges that could have carried up to 10 years each.
What did the inmates leave behind?
A mocking graffiti note reading “To Easy LoL,” which became one of the most memorable images of the jailbreak and a symbol of the jail’s security failures.
Were all 10 inmates recaptured?
Yes. Nine were captured within about six weeks. The tenth, convicted murderer Derrick Groves, evaded capture for nearly five months before being found hiding in a crawl space beneath a house in Atlanta in October 2025.
What charges do the escapees face now?
All 10 are facing charges of aggravated escape, with jury trials scheduled for April.
Were others charged for helping the escapees?
Yes. At least 14 other people, many of them friends and family of the escapees, were arrested and accused of aiding the fugitives by providing food, cash, transport, and shelter.
How did the inmates get out of the jail?
After the water was shut off, they removed a toilet from a cell, squeezed through a gap in the wall behind it, and scaled a fence to get out of the facility.
When was Williams arrested?
Williams was arrested on May 19, 2025, three days after the May 16, 2025 escape.
