US EditionNew Orleans jail worker thought he was unclogging a toilet, not helping 10 escape, lawyer says
- A 33-year-old employee responsible for jail maintenance in New Orleans was taken into custody on Tuesday for allegedly assisting in the escape that took place the previous Friday.
- Authorities said inmates instructed Williams to turn off water to a clogged toilet behind which a hole allowed 10 men to escape, though his lawyer claims he did not know the escape plan.
- Williams said an inmate threatened to shank him if he did not comply, but officials argue he had chances to report the threat or the escape plot and that the cell with the toilet should not have been in use.
- Williams has been formally charged with ten offenses related to aiding simple escape and one charge of misconduct in office, while law enforcement also detained two individuals suspected of providing transportation and assistance to the fugitives.
- Williams’ lawyer calls the charges "ridiculous" and asserts the sheriff’s office is using him as a scapegoat, while Williams remains in a separate facility worried about his safety and future.
12 Articles
12 Articles
New Orleans jail worker charged with helping 10 inmates escape was just doing his job, his lawyer says
New Orleans jail worker, Sterling Williams, did not know about the men’s plan and did not allow the inmates to cut a pipe behind the toilet for their escape, attorney Michael Kennedy said.
UPDATE: New Orleans jail worker thought he was unclogging a toilet, not helping 10 escape, lawyer says - American Press
Ten men who broke out of a New Orleans jail last week clogged a toilet to get the water shut off so that they could escape through a hole behind it, a lawyer for a maintenance worker who is charged with helping them said Wednesday. The worker, Sterling Williams, did not know about the men’s plan and did not allow the inmates to cut a pipe behind the toilet to create an opening for their escape, attorney Michael Kennedy told The Associated Press.…
Lawyer defends worker charged in jail escape
KEY TAKEAWAYS: Jail worker Sterling Williams charged in 10-inmate escape Lawyer says worker acted under threat, unaware of plan Escape involved clogging toilet to access hidden hole Five inmates remain at large following Friday’s breakout A worker charged with aiding the New Orleans jailbreak by 10 prisoners shut off water to unclog a toilet, not to allow the men to cut the pipe to create an opening for their escape, the employee’s lawyer …
Associated Press News
New Orleans jail worker thought he was unclogging a toilet, not helping 10 escape, lawyer says
A lawyer for a worker charged with helping 10 men escape a New Orleans jail says the worker did not know about the jailbreak plan.
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