The Louisiana Attorney General announced that Darriana Burton, a former employee of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO), has been arrested for allegedly conspiring to help Derrick Groves, a man who escaped from jail during a coordinated jailbreak operation. Officials believe Burton, who was previously employed by OPSO from August 2022 to March 2023, is the girlfriend of Groves and played a direct role in his escape. The arrest was made possible by the United States Marshals Service, which located Burton in New Orleans on Monday after a warrant was issued on May 27 for conspiracy to commit simple escape. The arrest brings the total number of individuals suspected in the jailbreak operation to three, including Groves and Antoine Massey, who remain at large.
The attorney general’s office emphasized that the investigation into the jailbreak is ongoing, with officials stating that the case has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. A lawsuit has been filed against the department, alleging that it was compromised in the wake of the jailbreak incident. The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office previously dismissed charges against Burton for bringing contraband into the jail and malfeasance in 2023, but this case has drawn renewed scrutiny. While the attorney general pledged that all individuals involved in aiding and abetting the escape would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, the case has also sparked public debates about the security and accountability of local law enforcement.
The escape of Groves, who is still on the run, has prompted a citywide manhunt, including the raid of a home where he allegedly appeared in a video pleading for help. The incident has heightened concerns about the potential for insider threats within correctional facilities and has renewed calls for stricter oversight of law enforcement practices. As the investigation continues, authorities have vowed to bring both Groves and Massey back to prison, vowing that no one who aided the fugitives will go unpunished. The case has become a focal point in the broader discussion about the role of local governance and the challenges of maintaining public safety in the face of internal corruption or negligence.