NEW ORLEANS — Retired NOPD Officer Jeffrey Vappie, a former member of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell's executive protection detail has been indicted by a federal grand jury.
The charges include 7 counts of wire fraud, and one count of false statements.
The indictment does not name Cantrell or charge her with any crime, but it refers to her on 12 of the 16 pages as Public Official 1 and alleges she was in a romantic relationship with Vappie for years and participated in his alleged scheme to cover it up.
According to the indictment, “…beginning not later than about November 2021, VAPPIE and Public Official 1 carried on a personal, romantic relationship, which VAPPIE attempted to disguise by making his interactions with Public Official 1 appear to relate to VAPPIE's duties and responsibilities as a member of EPU assigned to provide personal protection to Public Official 1. It was further part of the scheme and artifice to defraud that VAPPIE submitted and certified timecards to NOPD for periods he falsely.”
Sources tell WWL Louisiana Vappie has been the subject of a federal investigation into his payroll records over the last two years.
His timesheets showed him getting paid for lengthy shifts, including hours when he was serving as a commissioner on the Housing Authority of New Orleans and when he was alone with Cantrell at a city-owned apartment at the Upper Pontalba Building on Jackson Square. The indictment alleges Vappie arranged to have Cantrell appoint him to the HANO board and submitted false timecards to NOPD and received "unearned and excessive payments as a result of those submissions."
The indictment alleges that Vappie committed wire fraud by causing direct deposits on seven of his paychecks between August 2022 and April 2024. It alleges he claimed to be providing security for Cantrell while texts, photographs and other messages indicted the couple was actually involved in "personal recreational activities."
The city of New Orleans issued a brief statement late Friday.
"Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation and out of respect for the integrity of the process, we will withhold any comments at this time," said a statement issued by spokesperson Leatrice Dupre.
Cantrell's criminal defense attorney, Eddie Castaing, declined to comment. Vappie's attorney, Harry Rosenberg, did not respond to requests for comment.
Vappie was given two letters of reprimand after last year’s internal NOPD investigation for his questionable hours and duties on the mayor’s security detail. The indictment alleges Vappie "attempted to influence the Interim Superintendent (of NOPD Michelle Woodfork) into exonerating him by contacting (Woodfork) and telling (her) that this was (her) opportunity to 'make it right' when (she) reviewed the file and rendered a decision on whether to censure Vappie."
Vappie was censured and Cantrell decided to select Ann Kirkpatrick as the next full-time superintendent in September 2023 and demoted Woodfork. The indictment alleges Vappie was there when Cantrell informed Woodfork she did not get the chief job.
U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan later issued a blistering ruling finding the internal probe of Vappie inadequate.
Then photos surfaced in April showing Vappie, seated across from Mayor Cantrell at a balcony table-for-two at a French Quarter restaurant.
The indictment also mentions "romantic photographs" Vappie and Cantrell exchanged, as well as a photo of Vappie writing a message about his love for Cantrell in a journal, which he referred to as "our book."
The indictment alleges Vappie and Cantrell began a romantic relationship in November 2021, while Cantrell was married to attorney Jason Cantrell. Jason Cantrell died in August 2023.
The grand jury also been investigating other potential crimes involving Cantrell, including hundreds of thousands of dollars Cantrell's political campaign paid to an image consultant named Tanya Blunt Haynes for hair and fashion styling, as well as allegations that she may have taken bribes in exchange for official acts.
Watch: In-depth analysis of Vappie indictment (*Story continues below video):
As WWL Louisiana reported in November 2022, subpoenas started going out involving Haynes' purchases of dresses for Cantrell and Haynes and her husband's purchase of home furnishings.
Then, late last year, FBI agents approached at least three local businessmen who contributed to the mayor’s campaign accounts. They wanted to know whether the donations led to any favors from city hall, according to sources with knowledge of those conversations.
As WWL Louisiana reported earlier this week, sources with knowledge of the investigation said one of the businessmen, Randy Farrell, gave Cantrell tickets to the 2019 NFC Championship Game, a top-of-the-line smart phone and meals. Also in 2019, a city official who was investigating Farrell for possible permitting fraud was fired in the days after Farrell and his associates asked Cantrell to get rid of her.
The Cantrell probe is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, who specializes in public-corruption cases and who oversaw the government’s recent prosecution of State Senator Karen Carter Peterson, a one-time Cantrell ally.
Mayor Cantrell has not been charged with any crimes.
The NOPD released the following statement following Vappie's indictment:
"Today, former Officer Jeffery Vappie was federally indicted," a spokesperson stated. "The NOPD fully cooperates with federal authorities and remains committed to upholding the highest standards of accountability and integrity. We are dedicated to maintaining the trust of our community through transparency and unwavering service. For further details, please refer to the appropriate federal agencies.”
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