On August 15, 2025, New Orleans was rocked by news that its sitting mayor, LaToya Cantrell, had been indicted on a sweeping array of federal charges—including conspiracy, fraud, wire fraud, false statements, and obstruction of justice—stemming from what prosecutors allege was a multi-year scheme to misuse city resources for a clandestine relationship with her bodyguard, Jeffrey Paul Vappie II. The indictment, unsealed Friday and detailed by multiple outlets including USA TODAY, Axios, and CBS News, marks the first time in the city’s storied history that a mayor has faced such charges while still in office.
At the heart of the case is the accusation that Cantrell and Vappie, a long-serving New Orleans Police Department officer assigned to her security detail, began a romantic relationship in October 2021 and used their positions to defraud the city of more than $70,000. Prosecutors say the pair orchestrated 14 domestic and international trips—destinations ranged from California vineyards to the United Arab Emirates, Scotland, and Washington, D.C.—with Vappie claiming to be on official duty while actually spending personal time with Cantrell.
Michael Simpson, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, laid out the scope of the allegations at a news conference. "This is a three-year fraud scheme that we allege exploited their public authority and positions," Simpson said, according to USA TODAY. He described the affair as an "incredible breach of the public trust," adding, "It’s irrelevant that it’s romance or that it’s female. What is relevant is that it is an incredible betrayal of people’s confidence in their own government, and it’s a violation of innumerable federal criminal laws."
The indictment alleges that Cantrell arranged for Vappie to accompany her on official business for security purposes, but in reality, the trips were used to "maximize their time together and to engage in personal activities." During one trip to Washington, D.C., for example, the pair reportedly met with an official for just one hour but racked up $3,000 in expenses, with Vappie earning $1,120 in overtime. Receipts from a Los Angeles hotel showed Vappie charging cocktails and beers to Cantrell’s room, all billed to the city.
Prosecutors claim the scheme extended to New Orleans itself, particularly the mayor’s French Quarter apartment in the Pontalba building. According to court documents, Cantrell and Vappie treated the city-owned apartment as their "personal shared residence," with Vappie billing the city for hours spent there, sometimes even when Cantrell was absent. Such arrangements, Simpson noted, were highly irregular by local policing standards.
Efforts to conceal the relationship and the misuse of funds, prosecutors allege, were elaborate. Cantrell and Vappie exchanged more than 15,000 encrypted WhatsApp messages between February and October 2022, and both are accused of deleting conversations to avoid detection. In a sworn affidavit, Cantrell claimed she had activated an automatic message deletion feature on her phone in 2021, but investigators say she only did so in December 2022, after media speculation about her conduct began to mount.
The lengths to which Cantrell allegedly went to protect her privacy—and, prosecutors argue, perpetuate the fraud—are illustrated by an incident involving Anne Breaud, a resident of the upper Pontalba Apartments. On April 7, 2024, Breaud photographed Cantrell and Vappie dining together on a balcony while Vappie was supposed to be on duty. In response, Cantrell filed a police report and sought a temporary restraining order against Breaud, accusing her of harassment and stalking. The order was dismissed under Louisiana’s anti-SLAPP law, with the courts ruling that Breaud’s actions were protected by the First Amendment. She was awarded over $15,000 in attorney’s fees and an additional $8,000 on appeal. Breaud subsequently filed a civil rights lawsuit against Cantrell, alleging violations of her constitutional rights and improper disclosure of her personal information. The mayor’s attempt to legally silence Breaud is now cited by prosecutors as part of a pattern of harassment and concealment.
Vappie, who retired from the NOPD in June 2024, was indicted first in July 2024 on wire fraud charges related to billing false hours, including those spent inside Cantrell’s apartment. He has pleaded not guilty, according to Fox 8 and USA TODAY. His attorney, Harry Rosenberg, told reporters that Vappie could not comment on the indictment. Cantrell’s office, for its part, has not responded to requests for comment, and her attorney told Axios on Friday that he had not yet received a copy of the indictment.
The case has sent shockwaves through New Orleans, a city already familiar with political scandal but never before confronted with the indictment of a sitting mayor. Cantrell, a Democrat, was first elected in 2017 and became the city’s first female mayor in its 300-year history. She is term-limited and set to leave office in January 2026. Since taking office, Cantrell has faced a string of controversies, including a failed recall effort, a state ethics investigation into her international travel, and disputes with the City Council over her use of a city-owned apartment. She has previously argued that, as a Black woman and the city’s first female mayor, she has been subjected to more intense scrutiny and different standards than her predecessors.
Her supporters have echoed this sentiment, suggesting that the charges are politically motivated or rooted in gender bias. Simpson, the acting U.S. Attorney, dismissed these claims, emphasizing that the indictment is "not about romance or gender, but about public corruption and the abuse of power." He drew a parallel to the case of former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, who resigned and pleaded guilty to felony theft after a similar affair with her police bodyguard came to light.
According to the indictment, Cantrell and Vappie’s actions "reflect the prosecution of two public officials alleged to have engaged in a yearslong, continuing fraud scheme that used public money for personal ends by exploiting their power and their authority." The city’s payments for Vappie’s travel, overtime, and other expenses tied to these trips totaled over $70,000, but the indictment does not specify how much was spent on Cantrell herself.
As of Friday, Cantrell and Vappie are awaiting arraignment. They will have the option to accept a plea deal or proceed to trial. If convicted, both face the prospect of decades in prison, according to prosecutors. The city council, meanwhile, has expressed dismay. "This is a sad day for the people of New Orleans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cantrell family as they navigate through this difficult time," said Monet Brignac, spokesperson for City Council President JP Morrell, as reported by CBS News.
With the city’s political future uncertain, New Orleanians are left to grapple with questions of trust and accountability in their leadership. The case against Cantrell and Vappie is not just about the alleged misuse of funds or a secret relationship—it’s a test of the city’s resilience and its expectations for those who hold power.
