Crime Stoppers New Orleans and the FBI announced on Thursday that they have both increased their prizes for apprehending the two remaining escapees from the May 16 jailbreak at the Orleans Justice Center, as the men approach three weeks on the loose.
Derrick Groves and Antoine Massey are now wanted by the FBI and Crime Stoppers for a bounty of $20,000 each.
The ATF is also offering a $10,000 prize for each fugitive’s arrest, raising the total possible profits for assisting in their capture to $50,000 each.
After announcing that the reward had been increased, Darlene Cusanza, president and CEO of Crime Stoppers Greater New Orleans, underlined the organization’s anonymity policy and called for public assistance.
“Now, with Crime Stoppers, we are combined with the ATF making the reward significantly higher, and you are eligible for the Crime Stoppers reward by contacting us directly,” according to her. “With Crime Stoppers, you will stay anonymous. It’s our regular procedure, and we sincerely hope that with this enhanced number, if you have personal knowledge of the whereabouts of these individuals that can assist law enforcement in making that arrest, please call us.”
Jonathan Tapp, FBI Special Agent in Charge of New Orleans, spoke briefly later in the news conference to announce that the agency’s prize had increased.
“Today marks day 13 in our search for escapees Derrick Groves and Antoine Massey, and we want you to know that we will find them,” he stated, adding that the federal law enforcement agency is using every resource available to apprehend the duo.
He also stressed the FBI’s anonymity policy.
“With our partners, we want you to know the FBI handles every lead with discretion, and we do our utmost to preserve anonymity,” the agent stated. “However, sometimes this is tough. We realize from our law enforcement colleagues that some of you may be reporting a friend, loved one, or relative, and while it may be difficult, it is vital to your and the public’s safety that you do so.”
Representatives from the Louisiana State Police, the ATF, the United States Marshals Service, and the New Orleans Police Department were also present at the press conference.
Groves pled guilty to two charges of manslaughter in other incidents and was set to be sentenced in July.
Massey, a well-known escape artist, is also on the run. He was in jail awaiting trial on allegations of domestic abuse, including strangulation, vehicle theft, and parole violation.
Before breaking out of jail, he had escaped three times. He was no longer eligible to be released from jail with an ankle monitor because he had a tendency of cutting them off, forcing authorities to track him down.
The law enforcement organizations involved in the hunt, including the Louisiana State Police, the FBI, the ATF, the United States Marshals, and the New Orleans Police Department, will conduct a joint press conference on Thursday to discuss the status of the escapees.
Cameron Lindsay, a former federal prison warden, was perplexed that Massey was put in a first-floor cell at the facility, claiming that his history demanded significantly greater attention from prisons personnel.
“He would be housed in the most secure location within the jail,” Lindsay told Fox News Digital. “All staff would be apprised of this individual, and given his incredibly high risk for escape, I would require documented frequent checks at least once every 30 minutes on an irregular schedule.”
“I would also insist on documented correctional supervisor rounds, ensuring line staff are strictly following guidelines for inmates of this caliber who present the greatest threat to the community,” according to him.
The remaining eight prisoners who fled their cell and hopped the barbed wire fence to freedom have all been apprehended.
So far, 14 people have been arrested for allegedly assisting the fugitives either before or after they fled.
