New Orleans mayor and bodyguard lover charged with fraud and corruption

August 16, 2025

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and her bodyguard Jeffrey Vappie face fraud and corruption charges for allegedly misusing public funds during their personal relationship. Prosecutors claim the pair falsified duty records to spend time together from October 2021 until Vappie's retirement in June 2024, including during 14 trips that cost approximately $70,000. They allegedly used WhatsApp's auto-delete function to conceal thousands of messages, treated a city-owned apartment as their personal residence, and intimidated subordinates while Vappie claimed to be working.

Who is affected

Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Jeffrey Vappie (her bodyguard)
The City of New Orleans and its taxpayers
Subordinates who were allegedly intimidated
The individual who photographed Cantrell and Vappie together and faced a police report and restraining order

What action is being taken

Federal prosecutors are pursuing fraud and corruption charges against both Cantrell and Vappie
The mayor's lawyer is currently reviewing the charges
US attorney Michael Simpson is characterizing the case as "a years-long fraud scheme"

Why it matters

The case involves alleged misuse of approximately $70,000 in public funds
Cantrell is the first female mayor in New Orleans' 300-year history
The charges include serious allegations of intimidation of subordinates, lying to FBI agents, and perjury
If convicted, both face significant prison sentences and fines up to $250,000 per charge
The alleged misconduct occurred while Cantrell was serving in her official capacity as mayor

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC