New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell was indicted in the Eastern District of Louisiana on 15/8 on charges of wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to obstruct justice, making false statements, and perjury before a grand jury.
Prosecutors allege Cantrell had a romantic relationship with her bodyguard, officer Jeffrey Paul Vappie II, of the New Orleans Police Department. They are accused of exploiting their official positions to defraud the city and the police department by using public funds for personal trips between 2021 and 2024.
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New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell. Photo: Guardian |
New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell. Photo: Guardian
Vappie is also charged with wire fraud and making false statements. He has pleaded not guilty.
NBC reports that if convicted, Cantrell and Vappie could face years in prison. Some of the charges carry sentences of up to 5 years, while others carry up to 20 years.
Cantrell was the first woman elected mayor in New Orleans' 300-year history, and was elected twice. Now, she is the first mayor of the city to be indicted while in office.
The indictment details the relationship between Cantrell and Vappie, a longtime New Orleans Police Department officer assigned to her security detail in May 2021.
According to the indictment, they exchanged 15,000 encrypted messages on WhatsApp, expressing affection, sending photos, and sharing personal details.
The pair traveled to Los Angeles, Orlando, Scotland, and other destinations, under the guise of business trips. Prosecutors say Vappie's travel expenses alone, including airfare, meals, and salary, exceeded 70,000 USD.
During one trip to San Francisco, the indictment alleges, they extended their stay to visit wineries in Napa Valley. Vappie was paid for 15 hours of work, while the couple spent the day on vacation.
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The mayor and her bodyguard were seen on a personal outing in July 2024. Photo: Metropolitan Crime Commission |
The mayor and her bodyguard were seen on a personal outing in July 2024. Photo: Metropolitan Crime Commission
In private messages, Cantrell described these trips as "really lonely times" that inadvertently brought them together.
As the relationship came under scrutiny, prosecutors contend Cantrell abused her power and resorted to illegal measures to obstruct the investigation.
Vappie was reassigned after news reports showed them alone in a luxury apartment. However, Cantrell ordered the then-police chief to reinstate him to her security detail.
Prosecutors say when a citizen photographed them dining together, Cantrell sought information about the individual, filed a police report, and requested a restraining order.
To conceal their relationship, prosecutors say the couple deleted evidence, lied to FBI agents, and committed perjury. The affair took place while Cantrell was married to her husband, an attorney, who died in August 2023.
Cantrell's predecessor, Ray Nagin, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2014 for bribery, money laundering, fraud, and tax crimes.
Hai Thu (According to NYT, NBC, Guardian)
