New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was indicted Friday on federal charges of defrauding the city while trying to keep her romantic relationship with a police officer a secret, prosecutors said.
Cantrell is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, making false statements and false declaration before a grand jury, according to a federal indictment filed Friday in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Shortly after the news broke, a lawyer for Cantrell told NBC News they had not yet seen the indictment and had no comment.
Prosecutors allege that Cantrell was in a romantic relationship with Jeffrey Paul Vappie II, who served on the New Orleans Police Department’s executive protection unit on occasions from May 2021 to April 2024.
“To hide their relations from detection and to maximize their time together, Cantrell and Vappie exploited their public positions to develop and implement a scheme to defraud the city of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department by engaging in personal activities while Vappie claimed to be on duty and was paid for,” the indictment states.
New Orleans City Council President JP Morrell on Friday offered prayers for Cantrell and her family.
“This is a sad day for the people of New Orleans,” Morell said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Cantrell family as they navigate through this difficult time.”
Cantrell, a Democrat, is in her last term as mayor and is set to leave office in January.
She is the city’s first female mayor in its 300-year history. Her second term has been turbulent, including surviving a recall effort in 2022.