New Orleans Mayor Indicted Over Allegations She Hid Relationship With Bodyguard
Cantrell, the city's first female mayor, faces charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
The police officer, 52-year-old Jeffrey Vappie, was paid even while spending time alone with Cantrell in a government apartment or tasting wines with her during a trip to a California winery, according to the indictment.
In total, prosecutors said, New Orleans paid over $70,000 for Vappie's travel costs and salary.
Representatives for Cantrell, 53, didn't respond to a request for comment Friday. Vappie was indicted last year and pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and making false statements. His trial is scheduled for January.
Michael M. Simpson, the acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, called the alleged scheme an 'incredible breach of the public trust' and a betrayal of people's confidence in the government.
'Public officials should be in their jobs to serve the public and not themselves,' Simpson said at a news conference Friday.
According to the indictment, a 'personal and intimate relationship' between Vappie and Cantrell started around October 2021.
In February 2022, they started using WhatsApp to message each other, sending more than 15,000 messages in about nine months, prosecutors said. In one message, Vappie told Cantrell that 'he loved her and their physical relationship,' according to the indictment.
Cantrell approved pay invoices for Vappie, including for time when the two were alone or on trips together, according to the indictment. To hide their romance, the two deleted WhatsApp messages and punished subordinates who questioned their relationship, prosecutors said. At one point, Cantrell filed a restraining order against a New Orleans resident who took a photo of the pair together, the indictment said.
Cantrell was re-elected as mayor in 2021. Her second term ends in January. Vappie retired from the police department in June 2024.
Write to Joseph Pisani at joseph.pisani@wsj.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
44 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
FIR filed over attack on MCD staff capturing dogs in Rohini
A group of dog lovers allegedly manhandled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials and damaged their vehicle on Monday afternoon when the civic staff attempted to capture a stray dog from a government school in Rohini's Sector 16, police said. Multiple protests have been held in the city after the SC order on stray dogs. (HT Photo) According to the police, a PCR call was received around 2.42pm, informing them about a scuffle between unidentified persons and MCD's veterinary department team at F Block. 'The officials had gone to Government Sarvodaya School to catch a stray dog when they were stopped by some residents, who forced them to release the animal. Subsequently, they assaulted the staff and broke the dog-catching vehicle,' a senior officer said. A complaint was filed by Dr Ravish Kasana, veterinary officer with MCD, following which an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered at KNK Marg police station. Delhi Police have apprehended a 34-year-old man in connection with the incident. Police said that CCTV footage from the spot helped police identify the accused as Bhavik Wassan, a resident of Sector 3, Rohini. 'It was revealed that he was feeding four stray dogs near his shop and was a part of a WhatsApp group called 'Rohini Dog Lovers', created by Neha Nayyar. He had alerted other members on the group about the MCD's presence, following which several people gathered and confronted the officials,' a senior police officer said. Police said Wassan has been bound down in the case. The identities of two women seen in the footage have also been established, and teams have been dispatched to trace them and identify other suspects.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Pkl cops crack Rs 48L cyber fraud case, 3 held
Panchkula: Panchkula Police achieved a breakthrough in a ₹48.5 lakh case involving a fake trading app and fraudulent account creation. The Cyber Crime Police Station team arrested two more accused in connection with the scam. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This brings the total number of arrests in the case to three. The case was initially registered on May 21, following a complaint by Gurmukh Singh (62), a resident of Shiv Colony, Bitna Road, Pinjore. He reported that on Feb 13, he saw an advertisement related to stock market trading on YouTube. Upon clicking the link, he was added to a WhatsApp group, where members lured him with promises of high returns. Through the group, Singh was persuaded to open a trading account via a fake app. Over time, he was tricked into transferring a total of ₹48.5 lakh under the illusion of profitable investments. The first accused, Suresh Kumar Verma (resident of Ganganagar, Rajasthan; currently living in Zirakpur, Punjab), was arrested. He was remanded to 8 days of police custody and later sent to judicial custody on August 18. Based on leads provided by Suresh Kumar, police arrested two more suspects — Ritesh Kumar and Pravesh Kumar. Both are currently under 8-day police remand. Police are now working on recovering the scammed amount and identifying other members of the cyber fraud syndicate. DCP Crime Manpreet Singh Sudan stated that such cyber fraud gangs operate in an organised manner, often targeting unsuspecting individuals with promises of easy money. MSID: 123390901 413 |
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
IAF officer loses over one crore in trading app scam
TO GO WITH DON'T GET SCAMMED LOGO AND QR CODE Jaisalmer: A serving officer of the Indian Air Force stationed in Sriganganagar district's Suratgarh area lost over Rs one crore in a trading app scam, in which cyber fraudsters promised to teach him stock market investment strategies to help him earn profits. The fraud was uncovered when the officer visited his bank to withdraw money and found the transaction suspicious. A case has been filed at the cyber police station. According to police, the criminals used a fake trading app to defraud the officer and get him to transfer money on multiple dates. Sriganganagar cyber cell DSP Kuldeep Walia said the officer fell into the trap after joining a WhatsApp group called '55 Shoonya Growth Club', which offered trading tips and investment plans. On July 7, a link was shared in the group, prompting him to install the fake app and communicate with the fraudsters. Between June 10 and August 8, the officer, a Wing Commander in the IAF, transferred different denominations of money amounting to over Rs 1.1 crore from his SBI branch in Suratgarh to various accounts. On August 13, when he tried to withdraw the funds, the fraudsters demanded an additional Rs 42 lakh, which raised his suspicion. The officer then informed the bank manager, requested that the RTGS transfer be cancelled, and filed complaints with the cyber cell and the NCRP portal. Police have since obtained details of the accounts where the money was deposited and have frozen transcations worth Rs 7 lakh apart from requesting details of other accounts involved. eom Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
