U.S. Marshals arrest last escapee from New Orleans jailbreak in Atlanta

ATLANTA–U.S. Marshals with special assistance from Atlanta Police Department (APD) Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team arrested Derrick Groves today (Oct. 8) in Atlanta, GA. 

Derrick Groves was wanted for Aggravated Escape out of Orleans Parish, Louisiana, stemming from a high-profile escape where 10 inmates all escaped from a New Orleans Jail on May 16, 2025. Derrick Groves was convicted of Second-Degree Murder in New Orleans and by escaping, failed to appear for sentencing which carries the possibility of life in prison. Groves was the last remaining escapee on the run. 

The U.S. Marshals Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) received a request for assistance from the U.S. Marshals office in the Eastern District of Louisiana Oct. 7.and worked with APD’s SWAT Team to locate and arrest Groves at a residence on Honeysuckle Lane SW after a brief standoff. 

“Trying to hide in Atlanta was a poor choice for Groves,” said Jim Joyner, SERFTF Commander. “The U.S. Marshals and state and local officers assigned to the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force are relentless at what they do. I pray that this arrest brings some sense of peace and closure to the family of his victim.”

The U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) was created by the Presidential Threat Protection Act of 2000. Congress recognized the U. S. Marshals expertise in tracking and apprehending dangerous fugitives and ordered the creation of regional fugitive task forces (RFTFs) in core cities throughout the country. Via this mandate, SERFTF was created in 2003 and has offices in Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah to assist state, county, and local agencies as a central investigative base to identify, locate and apprehend dangerous offenders.