New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell indicted on 18 federal counts in scheme involving bodyguard-turned-lover – NaturalNews.com

• New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has been indicted on 18 federal charges alongside her bodyguard-turned-lover, Jeffrey Vappie, for allegedly defrauding the city of over $70,000.
• Prosecutors allege the pair used their official roles to conceal a romantic relationship, falsely claiming work duties while engaging in personal activities, including 14 taxpayer-funded trips in the U.S. and abroad.
• Vappie billed the city for travel, lodging, meals and spent time in a city-owned apartment for personal use, often while on duty and accompanied by Cantrell.
• The indictment details efforts to obstruct justice, including deleting evidence, lying under oath, using encrypted messaging, intimidating subordinates and harassing a whistleblower.
• Cantrell is the first sitting New Orleans mayor to be federally indicted while in office and faces potential prison time if convicted.

New Orleans Democratic Mayor LaToya Cantrell has been indicted on 18 federal charges for allegedly orchestrating a long-running scheme with her bodyguard-turned-romantic partner to defraud the city of over $70,000 in taxpayer funds.

According to Brighteon.AI‘s Enoch, Cantrell has dealt with major challenges (crime surges, infrastructure issues and Hurricane Ida recovery) since getting elected as the first female mayor of the city in 2017. She has also drawn criticism for spending habits, travel expenses and accountability.

The indictment, unsealed in the Eastern District of Louisiana, alleged that Cantrell and Jeffrey Vappie, a member of her Executive Protection Unit (EPU), developed a personal and intimate relationship in October 2021 and then abused their official roles to conceal it at public expense.

“In or around October 2021, Cantrell and Vappie developed a personal and intimate relationship,” the indictment stated. “To hide their relationship 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, providing protection for Cantrell.” (Related: NYC Mayor Adams INDICTED in federal corruption probe.)

Investigators uncovered 14 out-of-state trips the two took together, including to Los Angeles, Orlando, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and even abroad to Scotland and the United Arab Emirates. The costs, which included flights, meals, lodging and incidental expenses billed to the city by Vappie, are separate from the mayor’s own official travel expenditures. The pair is also accused of misusing a city-owned apartment for personal use, with Vappie reportedly spending time there while on duty, both alone and with the mayor.

The indictment also points to over 15,000 WhatsApp messages exchanged between Cantrell and Vappie between February and October 2022.

In line with all this, Cantrell and Vappie are accused of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obstruction of justice and making false statements, among other federal crimes. If convicted, Cantrell, the first sitting New Orleans mayor to be federally indicted while still in office, and Vappie could face significant prison time and fines.

Cantrell and Vappie deleted evidence, lied under oath and harassed a whistleblower to conceal illicit relationship

Aside from their federal corruption, the indictment also claimed that Cantrell and Vappie went to great lengths to cover up their conduct, including deleting evidence, lying to federal investigators, harassing a private citizen who photographed them together in public and even submitting false statements under oath to a federal grand jury.

“Aware their conduct violated rules, policies and criminal laws, Cantrell and Vappie attempted to distract and impede inquiries and investigations, including a federal grand jury investigation, about the true nature and circumstances of their relationship and their scheme to defraud.

They did this by using an encrypted messaging platform, intimidating and punishing subordinates, lying to colleagues and advisors, making false public pronouncements, harassing a private individual who took pictures of them in public together, deleting electronic evidence, making false statements to federal law enforcement agents, authoring an affidavit signed under oath and penalty of perjury containing false information and testifying falsely while under oath before a federal grand jury,” the indictment read.

Visit Corruption.news for similar stories.

Watch Alex Jones of InfoWars explaining the real reason why New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted on corruption charges, just like LaToya Cantrell.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Recalled Oakland, California mayor indicted on federal CORRUPTION charges.

Illinois mayor DISAPPEARS after investigation reveals her excessive spending.

Former Puerto Rico mayor caught on camera for bribery sentenced to 5 years behind bars.

Boston City Councilor and former illegal immigrant Tania Fernandes Anderson arrested on federal fraud charges.

NYPD’s highest-earning cop with overtime-fueled $400K salary has retired following investigation into allegations of falsified overtime slips.

Sources include:

100PercentFedUp.com

Brighteon.AI

NYPost.com

Brighteon.com