New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and former New Orleans Police Department officer Jeffrey Paul Vappie II have been indicted on federal charges related to wire fraud and obstruction of justice. The indictment was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.
According to the superseding indictment, Cantrell and Vappie are accused of conspiring to commit wire fraud and obstruct justice. Vappie faces twelve counts of wire fraud, while Cantrell is charged in six of those counts. Additional charges against Vappie include making a false statement to the FBI, and Cantrell is also charged with obstruction of justice and making false declarations before a grand jury.
The indictment alleges that while serving as mayor and police officer, respectively, Cantrell and Vappie developed an intimate relationship beginning in October 2021. Prosecutors claim they used their positions to have the City of New Orleans pay Vappie’s salary and expenses during times when he claimed to be on duty but was actually engaged in personal activities with Cantrell. The two allegedly exchanged more than 15,000 messages via WhatsApp over eight months, took steps to hide their conduct—including deleting evidence—and lied during official inquiries.
The document further states that their scheme continued both in New Orleans and during trips out-of-state, with city funds covering more than $70,000 for Vappie’s travel expenses. On these occasions, Vappie reportedly claimed work hours while participating in personal activities with Cantrell.
Cantrell justified bringing members of her executive protection team on trips as a safety measure due to COVID-19 but at times traveled without any protection or only when Vappie was available. In one instance described in the indictment, she traveled alone to Martha’s Vineyard after canceling a work trip so she could spend time with Vappie.
Prosecutors allege both defendants were aware their actions could violate criminal laws. After news reports surfaced about their conduct at a city-owned apartment, they coordinated responses and searched for legal counsel. Despite warnings from associates about potential felonies involving misuse of public resources, the alleged scheme continued until Vappie’s retirement in June 2024.
When subpoenaed by a grand jury in July 2023 for records related to the investigation, prosecutors say both defendants withheld information or provided misleading statements under oath regarding deleted messages and other relevant evidence.
The indictment also describes efforts by Cantrell and Vappie through 2023 and 2024 to influence internal investigations at NOPD regarding Vappie’s conduct. Additionally, after being photographed together while he was supposed to be on duty, Cantrell sought information about the citizen who took the pictures and filed a police report against them.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson stated: “An indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.”
If convicted on all counts related to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, each defendant faces up to five years in prison; for each count of wire fraud or conspiracy/obstruction charges, up to twenty years; additional penalties include supervised release terms and fines up to $250,000 per count.
Simpson commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s role in investigating this case as well as support from several agencies including the Department of Justice’s Computer Crimes Lab, City of New Orleans Office of Inspector General, and Metropolitan Crime Commission. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg and Nicholas D. Moses are leading prosecution efforts.
