New Orleans Mayor Indicted on Multiple Charges

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, a Democrat, has been indicted by a federal grand jury following a corruption probe.

On Friday, she received an indictment consisting of 18 counts, which include conspiracy, wire fraud, obstructing justice, making false statements, and lying to a federal grand jury.

This indictment comes on the heels of a separate indictment against Jeffrey Vappie, the mayor’s former bodyguard. Last summer, Vappie faced similar charges related to wire fraud and false statements.

The recent documents provide more specifics about the alleged corruption scheme that prosecutors claim both Vappie and Cantrell were part of. They suggest Vappie falsified timesheets to hide hours spent with Cantrell at an Upper Pontalba apartment during work hours. This included times when they traveled together for official functions or attended personal events.

Moreover, the documents allege Vappie manipulated and deleted records to obscure his relationship with Cantrell as well as her influence within the New Orleans Police Department, which was allegedly used to shield him from scrutiny.

After the investigation began, Vappie was placed on leave and subsequently resigned.

Reports indicate that Cantrell’s indictment follows two years of increased attention on various issues, including her ties with Vappie, a legal dispute with a local resident who took photos of the alleged affair, and a lawsuit over a broken funding promise to New Orleans Public Schools. Additionally, there’s been scrutiny over a former city inspector accused of bribing her with tickets to a Saints game and ongoing concerns about her frequent travels amidst incidents like a mass power outage.

In 2022, Cantrell faced criticism for using public funds to upgrade her international flights to business class, which she defended as necessary for conducting city business.

Furthermore, media reports have highlighted that in 2022, Cantrell used nearly $200,000 from her campaign fund, with approximately a third allocated to image consulting services. Financial records reveal her campaign paid $60,000 to Jolie Image Consulting, run by Tanya Haynes, as well as $12,000 to Erica Warren. Reportedly, Haynes informed store staff that these purchases were for clothes to be worn by the mayor at public events.

Despite these allegations, Cantrell has consistently denied any wrongdoing. She expressed frustration at a budget presentation in October 2024, saying, “Accusation after accusation after accusation.”

Her office has argued that as the first female mayor of New Orleans and a Black woman, she is under greater scrutiny than her White male predecessors, suggesting she is being held to different standards.

Cantrell’s term is set to conclude in January 2026.