New Orleans mayor indicted in corruption scheme

(The Center Square) − A federal grand jury has returned a 45-page indictment charging Mayor LaToya Cantrell and New Orleans Police Department officer Jeffrey Vappie with conspiring to defraud the city by conducting a secret personal relationship while Vappie was on duty, falsifying records, and obstructing investigations.

The indictment, unsealed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, lays out 18 felony counts against the pair, including conspiracy, wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and making false statements to federal investigators and a grand jury.

According to prosecutors, from 2021 through 2023, Cantrell and Vappie used Vappie’s official police assignments – particularly his role on the mayor’s Executive Protection Unit – to spend extended periods together at non-work-related locations, including Cantrell’s apartment at the Upper Pontalba building, while falsely representing these activities as legitimate law enforcement duties.

Pprosecutors say the scheme resulted in approximately $70,000 for Vappie’s travel expenses.

The indictment says the two repeatedly falsified timesheets and official New Orleans Police Department records show Vappie working protective detail when he was engaged in personal activities with Cantrell.

Cantrell and Vappie are charged with the following:

• Count 1: Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and obstruct justice.

• Counts 2–13: Wire fraud, alleging specific instances where falsified time and activity logs led to improper payroll payments.

• Count 14: Conspiracy to obstruct justice by coordinating false statements to investigators and the media.

• Count 15: Making false statements to federal law enforcement during the investigation.

• Count 16: Obstruction of justice by attempting to influence witness testimony and conceal evidence.

• Counts 17–18: False declarations before a grand jury.

Prosecutors say after public scrutiny intensified in late 2022, Cantrell and Vappie strategized to align their stories, delete text messages, and limit what they told federal agents.

In one cited instance, the indictment says Cantrell instructed Vappie to “stay consistent” with a public narrative denying any misuse of city resources.

The charging document references surveillance footage, badge swipe data, text message records, and testimony from other officers indicating that Vappie frequently remained at the mayor’s private residence during his scheduled work shifts.

Cantrell’s attorneys have previously denied any wrongdoing, framing the investigation as politically motivated. Vappie has also denied misconduct.

By Nolan Mckendry | The Center Square