New Orleans has long been a city with a colorful political history, but on August 15, 2025, it entered truly uncharted territory. For the first time ever, a sitting mayor of New Orleans faces criminal prosecution: LaToya Cantrell, the city’s two-term chief executive, was indicted on a sweeping array of federal charges stemming from what prosecutors describe as a years-long scheme to defraud the city and obstruct justice, all while concealing a romantic relationship with her police bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie Jr.
The charges, unsealed in a federal court on Friday, include one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, one count of obstruction of justice, and two counts of making false statements to a grand jury. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Cantrell and Vappie’s personal relationship began as early as October 2021, when Vappie was serving on the mayor’s executive protection team. From then until his retirement in June 2024, prosecutors allege the pair exploited their positions to have the city and the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) pay Vappie’s salary and expenses while he was actually engaged in personal activities—often with Cantrell—instead of performing his official duties.
“From that time until Vappie’s retirement in June 2024, they embarked on a scheme to defraud the City of New Orleans and NOPD by exploiting Vappie’s job and Cantrell’s authority as Mayor to have the City and NOPD pay Vappie’s salary and expenses during times Vappie claimed to be on duty but when he was actually engaged in personal activities, often with Cantrell,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated, as reported by Black Catholic Messenger.
The indictment details an elaborate cover-up. Prosecutors say Cantrell and Vappie exchanged more than 15,000 WhatsApp messages, photos, and audio clips in just eight months. They allegedly arranged at least 14 domestic and international trips, charging over $70,000 in travel expenses to the city while Vappie claimed to be on duty. WhatsApp was also used, according to the indictment, to intimidate subordinates, harass a citizen whistleblower, delete evidence, mislead investigators, and provide false statements to a federal grand jury. The cover-up escalated after the mayor’s use of a city-owned apartment was exposed in late 2022; Cantrell and Vappie deleted thousands of messages and concealed their communications from a grand jury.
Both Cantrell and Vappie were warned as early as April 2022 that their conduct was illegal, yet the scheme continued into 2024. The indictment alleges Cantrell pressured then-Interim Superintendent Michelle Woodfork to halt an internal NOPD probe of Vappie, sought his reassignment to her detail despite findings against him, and retaliated against a citizen who had documented their interactions. The city council eventually intervened, voting in March 2024 to change the locks on the city-owned building and ordering Cantrell to remove her belongings.
Vappie was indicted in July 2024 on federal charges, including wire fraud and falsifying records. He pleaded not guilty. Cantrell, for her part, has publicly denied any wrongdoing. Her attorney released a statement after the indictment, saying they are “thoroughly reviewing the document” and that the city will not comment further until the review is complete.
The legal troubles for Cantrell and Vappie first came to light in 2023, when local investigative reporting by WVUE’s “Outside the Office” revealed Vappie, assigned to the mayor’s protective detail, was spending hours with her inside a city-owned apartment while on the clock. Investigators discovered Vappie may have been filing falsified timesheets and engaging in an inappropriate relationship with the mayor. He was placed on leave and later resigned. The indictment alleges that both defendants made false statements to federal agents and the grand jury, and that Cantrell retaliated against those who raised concerns.
This moment marks a historic low for New Orleans’ city government. As reported by The New York Times, Louisiana is no stranger to political corruption. From the infamous Richard Leche, convicted of mail fraud in 1940, to the flamboyant four-term governor Edwin Edwards, who was imprisoned for selling riverboat casino licenses, the state’s political landscape has been shaped by scandal. Even William Jefferson, a former congressman, was famously caught with $90,000 in bribe money stashed in his freezer and convicted on multiple counts of bribery and racketeering. More recently, former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was convicted on more than 20 counts of bribery and fraud in 2014. Yet, never before has a sitting mayor of New Orleans been indicted while still in office.
The gravity of the situation was not lost on New Orleans officials. City Council President JP Morrell called it “a sad day for the people of New Orleans,” offering thoughts and prayers for the Cantrell family. Royce Duplessis, a candidate in the upcoming mayoral election, remarked, “Mayor Cantrell is entitled to a fair trial; but more importantly, as a father, my heart breaks for her child. The people of New Orleans are sick and tired of the drama that has not delivered improvements in their lives.”
Cantrell’s personal life has also been swept up in the scandal. Vappie’s wife filed for divorce in early 2023, indirectly naming Cantrell as the other woman. Tragically, Cantrell’s husband, Jason Cantrell, died of a heart attack just months after the divorce filing.
LaToya Cantrell, a 53-year-old Black Catholic, made history in November 2017 as the first Black woman elected mayor of New Orleans. She was reelected in 2021 and is scheduled to leave office in January 2026. Her tenure has been marked by both achievements and mounting criticism, including legal battles over city funding and a contentious relationship with the press. At a U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Tampa in June, Cantrell described the scrutiny she has faced as “disrespectful.”
If convicted, the consequences for Cantrell are severe: up to five years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, up to 20 years for each count of wire fraud, up to 20 years for conspiracy to obstruct justice, up to 20 years for each count of obstruction of justice, and up to five years for each count of making false statements to a grand jury. Vappie faces a similar legal outlook.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Eva J. Dossier has issued a summons for Cantrell and Vappie to turn themselves in on the new charges. At least 12 out of 16 grand jurors voted to indict Cantrell on August 15, 2025, and the city has acknowledged the indictment, though it declined to comment further.
For a city with a storied past of political intrigue, the indictment of Mayor Cantrell is a watershed moment—one that will test New Orleans’ institutions and its people’s faith in those elected to serve them.