Former New Orleans Mayor and Police Officer Charged with Wire Fraud and Obstruction of Justice

Strategic Insights -

Latoiya Cantrell, the former mayor of New Orleans, and Jeffrey Vappie, a former New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officer, have been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice. According to the superseding indictment, the duo developed a personal relationship in 2021 while Cantrell was mayor and Vappie was a member of her executive protection team. They allegedly exploited Vappie's job and Cantrell's authority to have the City of New Orleans and NOPD pay Vappie's salary and expenses during times he claimed to be on duty but was actually engaged in personal activities with Cantrell.

Key Takeaways:

  • Latoiya Cantrell and Jeffrey Vappie were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to obstruct justice in a superseding indictment.
  • The duo developed a personal relationship in 2021 while Cantrell was mayor and Vappie was a member of her executive protection team.
  • They allegedly exploited Vappie's job and Cantrell's authority to have the City of New Orleans and NOPD pay Vappie's salary and expenses during times he claimed to be on duty but was actually engaged in personal activities with Cantrell.
  • Vappie was charged with twelve counts of wire fraud and Cantrell was charged in six of those wire fraud counts.
  • Cantrell was also charged with one count of obstruction of justice and two counts of making a false declaration before a grand jury.
  • The duo allegedly used a secure messaging platform, WhatsApp, to exchange over 15,000 messages, pictures, and audio clips in an eight-month period.
  • They intimidated subordinates, harassed a citizen, lied to colleagues and associates, deleted evidence, and made false statements to FBI agents.
  • Vappie was also charged with making a false statement to the FBI and Cantrell was charged with one count of perjury before a federal grand jury.
  • The duo allegedly perpetuated their scheme both in New Orleans and during out-of-state trips, including trips to San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts.
  • They spent over $70,000 in city funds on Vappie's travel on these trips.
  • Cantrell allegedly created an affidavit sworn under oath that she had activated a feature that automatically deleted messages in 2021, when in fact she did not activate this feature until December 26, 2022.
  • The duo allegedly continued their pattern of obstruction through the rest of 2023 and 2024, including improperly pressuring the Interim Superintendent of NOPD and filing a police report against a private citizen who took pictures of them together.

Statistics:

  • Over $70,000 was spent in city funds on Vappie's travel on out-of-state trips.
  • Over 15,000 messages, pictures, and audio clips were exchanged between Cantrell and Vappie on WhatsApp in an eight-month period.
  • Vappie was charged with twelve counts of wire fraud and Cantrell was charged in six of those wire fraud counts.
  • Cantrell was also charged with one count of obstruction of justice and two counts of making a false declaration before a grand jury.
  • The duo allegedly spent a total of 14 domestic and international trips together to maximize their time and engage in personal activities.

Sources:

  • Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
  • Department of Justice's Computer Crimes and Intellectual Properties Section Cybercrime Lab
  • City of New Orleans Office of Inspector General
  • Metropolitan Crime Commission
  • Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson (as quoted in the article)
  • Latoiya Cantrell
  • Jeffrey Vappie