Retired FBI agent warns New Orleans prison escape ‘should get everyone’s attention’

A retired FBI special agent is sounding the alarm after 10 inmates escaped from a New Orleans jail, with five remaining at large, saying this incident “should get everyone’s attention.” 

“This wasn’t a complicated escape. Ten inmates got out through a hole behind a toilet. It took more than seven hours before anyone noticed they were gone,” Jason Pack, a retired FBI special agent, said to Fox News Digital. “That tells you a lot about what’s going on inside that jail. Too few people on staff. Not enough oversight. And likely not enough working equipment or security checks.”

On Tuesday, an Orleans Parish Jail maintenance worker was arrested and charged in connection with the escape.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill shared in a statement that Sterling Williams, 33, had been arrested and charged with 10 counts of principal to simple escape and malfeasance in office.

LOUISIANA JAIL WORKER ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY HELPING 10 INMATES ESCAPE ORLEANS PARISH FACILITY

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

Pack said the inmates’ choice to target a maintenance worker for help was a smart and calculated move.

“If you think about it, maintenance people are not really looked after there. They’re kind of low-key, and they have keys to doors. They have access to utilities and panels, so it was pretty smart to target him on the part of the criminals,” Pack said.

He added that the prison escape was also not a “crime of opportunity” and had most likely been planned for some time. 

“Inmates are resourceful when it comes to things on the inside. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that they hatched this plan over a few days or a few weeks,” Pack said. 

Additionally, Williams’ arrest may not be the only one coming, Pack theorized, stating that this could be just the first initial wave of arrests as other employees had been suspended. 

“It seems like these inmates are going to exploit any crack in the system they can. And sometimes the cracks will lead to pressure whether waiting or not for folks who are in vulnerable positions. And that seemed to be what happened here, enough so that he (Williams) was able to turn the water off, they were able to pull the toilet out and escape through the corridor there and out the back door,” Pack said.

“And I think when we say jailbreak from now on, all of us are going to remember that video of the 10 people just fleeing out the jail.” 

Pack added that “the bigger issue is what allowed this to happen in the first place.”

“That jail had just 36 officers working with over 1,000 inmates. That’s not enough people to keep a place like that running safely. When staff are stretched that thin, it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks. Most jails around the country are dealing with similar problems – low staffing, budget cuts and buildings that are falling apart,” Pack said. 

The jail is only at 60% staffing, and at the time of the escape, four supervisors and 36 staff members were monitoring 1,400 inmates, authorities said.

“This escape isn’t just a New Orleans problem. It’s a warning sign for everyone. If your jail hasn’t reviewed its security procedures, staffing levels or blind spots lately, now’s the time. Nobody wants to be the next story on the news.” 

— Jason Pack, retired FBI special agent

LOUISIANA STATE POLICE CAPTURES 4TH ESCAPED INMATE IN NOLA PRISON BREAK, 6 STILL AT LARGE

Five of the 10 inmates remain on the run, with the fifth recaptured Tuesday in New Orleans.

Corey Boyd, 19, who was briefly spotted last Friday hours after the jailbreak, was taken into custody Tuesday, the Louisiana State Police said. Boyd was originally jailed for second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery and threatening a public official. 

However, the escapee who is considered most dangerous is Derrick Groves, 27, who remains at large. 

He was convicted of killing two men during Mardi Gras in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward in 2018 and was in jail awaiting sentencing. 

LOUISIANA GOVERNOR BLASTS ‘PROGRESSIVE PROMISES’ AFTER NEW ORLEANS JAIL ESCAPE

Pack said what makes this case more unique than other prison breaks is the number of convicts that escaped at once.

“It’s very unusual to have a 10-person manhunt in a prison escape like this. These don’t happen regularly. And when they do, it just shows you the danger that folks can risk close to the community and why corrections officers are an important part of the law enforcement team,” Pack said. “There is a nationwide shortage of correction officers around. They’re low-paid and under-appreciated and it’s a very difficult job dealing with inmates.” 

Pack said the number one goal for law enforcement right now is getting the inmates “back into custody quickly and safely.”

“Some of them are facing serious charges, and when people are on the run, especially if they’re scared, things can get dangerous fast. They might steal a car, break into a house, or hurt someone if they feel cornered. The longer this drags out, the more chance someone gets hurt,” Pack said.

The five fugitives still on the run are Groves, Jermaine Donald, 42, Antoine Massey, 33, Leo Tate, 31, and Lenton Vanburen, 27.

Pack added that while it is unlikely any of the convicts fled the country, they would run into obstacles anywhere trying to run, as there are agencies nationwide and around the world assisting in locating them.

“You can’t outrun the feds, and you can’t outrun the FBI or the Marshals Service, because they have offices around the country and indeed, around the world,” Pack said. “So even if they do happen to make it to another country – I’m not suggesting that that’s what’s happened yet – but if they had to do that, the FBI and the Marshals and federal law enforcement have liaisons in other countries that are able to step in and help them even though they don’t have jurisdiction there.

“So you can run, you can hide, but you can’t hide forever. And just because this case may lose traction in the media, it’s not going to lose traction with law enforcement.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Pack added that having no incidents reported since the inmates escaped has been a “miracle in itself.”

“The fugitives get desperate out there and so when they feel the pressure, and they’re feeling the heat, sometimes they act in desperation. So hopefully they’ll continue not to. It’s possible and likely that they have people on the outside that are helping them hide out in these matters,” Pack said. 

“Police don’t want this to end with anyone getting injured, including the escapees. The goal is to find them, surround them, and bring them in without any drama,” Pack continued. “That’s what officers train for. It’s not about chasing headlines. It’s about doing the job carefully and professionally, even when the public is watching.”

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca, Michael Dorgan and Alex Koch contributed to this report.