New Orleans Mayor Indicted on Corruption Charges

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was hit with an 18-count federal indictment Friday accusing her of orchestrating a scheme with her bodyguard-turned-lover to defraud the city of more than $70,000.

Cantrell, 53, and Jeffrey Vappie, a member of her Executive Protection Unit (EPU), are charged with multiple crimes — including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, wire fraud, obstruction of justice and making false statements.

“In or around October 2021, Cantrell and Vappie developed a personal and intimate relationship,” states the indictment in the Eastern District of Louisiana. “To hide their relationship from detection and to maximize their time together, Cantrell and Vappie exploited their public positions to develop and implement a scheme to defraud the City of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department by engaging in personal activities while Vappie claimed to be on duty, and was paid for, providing protection for Cantrell.”

As part of their scheme, the elected Democrat mayor arranged for Vappie to accompany her when she traveled outside the state on official business and “falsely claimed” she needed his protection due to safety concerns.

Investigators uncovered at least 14 out-of-state trips Cantrell took with Vappie to “maximize their opportunities to engage in personal activities” costing the City of New Orleans thousands in travel, meal, lodging, salary and incidental expenses Vappie charged to taxpayers – costs separate from the mayor’s own travel expenses.

Vappie and Cantrell are also accused of using a city-owned apartment for personal use, with Vappie frequently spending time there while on duty, both alone and with the mayor.

“Aware their conduct violated rules, policies, and criminal laws, Cantrell and Vappie attempted to distract and impede inquiries and investigations, including a federal grand jury investigation, about the true nature and circumstances of their relationship and their scheme to defraud,” prosecutors wrote.

“They did this by using an encrypted messaging platform, intimidating and punishing subordinates, lying to colleagues and advisors, making false public pronouncements, harassing a private individual who took pictures of them in public together, deleting electronic evidence, making false statements to federal law enforcement agents, authoring an affidavit signed under oath and penalty of perjury containing false information, and testifying falsely while under oath before a federal grand jury,” according to the indictment.