Left: The opening inside Orleans Justice Center from which 10 inmates allegedly escaped in New Orleans, LA, on May 16, 2025 (Law&Crime Network). Center: Antoine Massey reportedly discussing his criminal case and alleged departure from the Orleans Justice Center in a video on Instagram last month (Instagram). Right: Inmates fleeing Orleans Justice Center in New Orleans, LA, on May 16, 2025 (Law&Crime Network).
This week, one of the inmates involved in the daring escape through a toilet hole in New Orleans made a purported plea on Instagram, asking President Donald Trump and local musician Lil Wayne for “assistance,” asserting, “I didn’t break out, I was let out.”
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, which has launched an ongoing investigation, Antoine Massey, 32, allegedly shared the purported video on several Instagram accounts starting Sunday. This was verified and reported by NOLA.com on Monday.
“They say that I broke out. I didn’t break out. I was let out,” Massey purportedly says in the video, identifying himself at one point by name.
“The reason why I left the jail is because these people were trying to give me a life sentence in both parishes for something that I did not do,” he alleges.
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As previously reported by Law&Crime, Massey and the other inmates managed to escape from the Orleans Justice Center — operated by the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office — after carving a hole out behind a toilet and crawling through it, police say.
Orleans Parish Sheriff Susan Hutson suspended multiple staff members and launched an internal probe in the wake of the incident. Hutson, in a May 20 statement, said that she takes “full responsibility” and “accountability” for what happened and halted her reelection campaign.
“We’ve taken immediate action,” Hutson said.
Massey purportedly claims in his Instagram video that he was wrongly accused of domestic abuse involving strangulation by a woman he knows and was incorrectly charged with motor vehicle theft. He has a criminal record dating back to at least 2009, according to NOLA.com, with violent felony convictions for armed robbery, aggravated flight from an officer and felon in possession of a firearm. He was also reportedly convicted in the past on charges of theft, simple criminal damage to property and twice on tampering with electronic monitoring equipment.
“I’m asking, please, for help,” Massey purportedly says. “I’m saying people that been through the system that know it’s corrupt. Lil Wayne, Donald Trump, please, I’m asking for help. You know what I’m saying?”
Eight of the 10 escapees have been arrested so far, with the other remaining fugitive being Derrick Groves, 27, who was convicted of a double murder and locked up last October.
One of Massey’s relatives reportedly viewed the purported video of him and recognized the background, later reporting it to the local authorities.
A search warrant was drafted and carried out at a home in the 1700 block of Agriculture Street on Monday, according to NOLA.com, but Massey was nowhere to be found. He was still on the lam as of Tuesday night.
