Two Women Charged with Helping Violent Inmates Escape from DeKalb County Jail

The U.S. Department of Justice reports in its press release (quotation, not an independent finding): “ATLANTA — A federal grand jury indicted Melayna Whatley and Gabriela Ortis for allegedly helping three inmates, including a federal prisoner serving a life sentence, escape from the DeKalb County Jail in December 2025. “Every jailbreak puts the public at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thankfully, quick action by numerous law enforcement agencies ensured the lightning-fast capture of the men who escaped from DeKalb County late last year. Now, the women who allegedly helped them bust free must face the consequences for unleashing terror into our community.” “This was far more than an escape from jail—it put an innocent member of the public directly in harm’s way,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “These defendants allegedly helped violent fugitives evade capture, and their actions contributed to a dangerous chain of events that ended with an innocent woman being kidnapped and held against her will. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to hold accountable anyone who assists violent offenders and puts our communities at risk.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: In June 2025, Stevenson Charles was sentenced in the Southern District of Florida to life in prison for carjacking, kidnapping, bank robbery, and brandishing a firearm. On December 5, 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service transferred him to the DeKalb County Jail in Decatur, Georgia, to face additional state charges. On December 21, 2025, Charles and fellow inmates Yusuf Minor and Noad Yohannes, acting in”