A paperwork slip at the Orleans Parish jail has sparked a manhunt, after 30-year-old Dreion Williams was mistakenly released from custody despite a bail company surrendering his bond the night before, officials said.
According to deputies, the bond surrender paperwork was handed back to the bond agent instead of being filed into the court record, creating a gap that let a judge’s court order send Williams out the door. The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office (OPSO) said deputies quickly went to the victim’s home, found her safe, and then checked Williams’ last-known address but came up empty. Sheriff Michelle Woodfork has ordered deputies to put the victim’s safety at the top of the list while investigators try to track Williams down.
FOX 8 reports that OPSO said the bail company surrendered Williams’ bond the prior evening, but the all-important bond documents were mistakenly returned to the bond agent and never logged in the court file. Records staff then alerted the judge once the error surfaced. A warrant is expected to be issued, and Williams faces charges of aggravated battery, simple battery, possession of a firearm by a felon and aggravated assault with a firearm. OPSO said it has pulled in regional partners, including the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, and deployed its own units while rolling out extra safeguards meant to avoid a repeat of this kind of clerical misfire.
Authorities are asking anyone who knows where Williams is to call CrimeStoppers at 504-822-1111.
Background: Why jail errors raise alarms
Clerical mistakes at the Orleans Justice Center are not a one-off problem. Last July, an inmate was mistakenly released, triggering discipline and an internal investigation, according to WDSU. The jail is also still under a microscope after a May 2025 jailbreak that sent 10 inmates on the run and led to a special grand jury probe and criminal charges connected to the escape, WWNO reported. That recent history has only intensified pressure on the sheriff’s office to tighten up how people are booked in and signed out.
What comes next
Per FOX 8, OPSO says it is conducting an internal investigation into how this latest release unfolded and will work with the courts to have a warrant issued. Law enforcement agencies plan to keep up the search with help from federal and regional partners, while the sheriff’s office focuses on protecting the victim and shoring up release procedures.
For now, the episode adds fresh fuel to long-running concerns over how the jail handles who comes in and who walks out, as city leaders continue to push for accountability. Authorities are again urging anyone with information to contact CrimeStoppers at 504-822-1111.
