New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has been indicted on 18 federal charges, including conspiracy, fraud, and obstruction of justice.
Prosecutors say she had an “intimate relationship” with her taxpayer-funded bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, and used public money for personal travel.
According to the indictment, Cantrell and Vappie “developed a personal and intimate relationship” around October 2021.
They allegedly traveled together to places like Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Scotland, costing the city over $70,000. Vappie reportedly claimed he was working while spending time with Cantrell, including inside the city-owned Pontalba Apartment.
One message included in the indictment shows Cantrell asking, “Hey did you tell [them] you put a ring on it?” Another reads, “The times when we are truly alone (traveling) is what spoils me the most.”
Prosecutors say Cantrell tried to hide the relationship by deleting messages and activating a setting that made them disappear after 24 hours. She also allegedly lied to a grand jury and withheld over 50 photos from her personal devices.
An associate warned her in a message: “It is A FELONY to have your lover be paid to work and have his travel paid for by the city… Please don’t let this be your path LaToya!!!”
City Councilman Joe Giarrusso commented, “Everyone is presumed innocent under the law. Mayor Cantrell deserves that presumption.”
Cantrell is the first sitting New Orleans mayor to face criminal charges. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison for some charges and fines of up to $250,000 per count.
This case could reshape New Orleans politics ahead of the October 2025 mayoral election
