New Orleans Mayor Indicted on Corruption Charges Connected to an Alleged ‘Intimate’ Relationship with Bodyguard

The mayor of New Orleans has been indicted on charges of fraud and obstruction of justice after prosecutors claim she and a bodyguard attempted to hide an “intimate” relationship as the pair used public funds while “engaged in personal activities.”

Mayor LaToya Cantrell, 53, and Jeffrey Vappie, 52, were charged in a superseding indictment of 18 total counts, according to an Aug. 15 announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana.

Cantrell, the city’s first female mayor who was elected in 2017 and re-elected in 2021, is accused of having “embarked on a scheme to defraud the City of New Orleans” and its police department alongside Vappie, a former New Orleans Police Department officer and member of her executive protection team, as he spent personal time with her while claiming to be “on duty,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The indictment also alleges that the pair “coordinated to spend time together” at a city-owned apartment while Vappie was supposed to be on duty, arranged “14 domestic and international trips to maximize their time together” and were “aware their conduct broke criminal laws” while the City of New Orleans allegedly paid over $70,000 for his travel on such trips.

Vappie was already facing charges of making false statements and wire fraud, according to the Associated Press. The indictment has since added the mayor to the case as she has been charged in six of the wire fraud counts, as well as one count of obstruction of justice and two counts of making a false declaration before a grand jury.

The city and mayor’s office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment on Saturday, Aug. 16. Cantrell has not shared a public statement on the matter.

A city spokesperson told the AP that it was aware of the indictment. “Until [the mayor’s attorney] review is complete, the city will not comment further on this matter,” the statement read.

City Councilman Jean-Paul Morrell’s spokesperson told Fox News that it was “a sad day for the people of New Orleans.” He added that “thoughts and prayers are with the Cantrell family as they navigate through this difficult time.”

The mayor’s current term ends on Jan. 12, 2026.

The indictment, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, details the pair’s attempts to “hide their scheme and perpetuate their continued fraud,” including their use of messaging platform WhatsApp, making “false statements to FBI agents” and “committing perjury before a federal grand jury.”

Cantrell and Vappie’s “personal, intimate relationship” dated back to at least October 2021, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office. News stories broke of their relationship in November 2022, with prosecutors alleging that their “scheme” continued until his June 2024 retirement.

Vappie is alleged to have “lied about the nature and circumstances of his relationship” when questioned by the FBI in 2023, while Cantrell is accused of having “concealed” messages — including deleted WhatsApp correspondence — from a grand jury.

The pair face up to five years in prison if convicted of the conspiracy to commit wire fraud, up to 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, up to 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to obstruct justice, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Separately, Vappie faces up to five years in prison for the false statement to FBI charge, while Cantrell faces up to 20 years for each obstruction of justice count and up to five years for each count of making false statements to a grand jury. They also face up to $250,000 in fines per each count.