Jeffrey Vappie indicted by federal grand jury

Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s former bodyguard has been indicted by a federal grand jury.

The grand jury that convened in the United States Federal Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana handed up that indictment of Jeffrey Vappie on Friday. According to the indictment, the grand jury charged Vappie with seven counts of wire fraud and one count of false statements.

The indictment charges that Vappie defrauded the city out of nearly $47,000 over a two-and-a-half-year span between November 2021 and April 26, 2024, when he was removed from Mayor Cantrell's security detail. In the indictment, prosecutors accuse Vappie of having a romantic relationship with Cantrell, who is identified in the charging document as "Public Official 1."

Prosecutors further allege that Vappie disguised that relationship by "making his interactions with Public Official 1 appear to relate to Vappie's duties and responsibilities as a member of (the executive protection unit) designed to provide personal protection to Public Official 1" and clocking those personal hours he spent with Cantrell as working hours. According to prosecutors, Vappie engaged in "personal, recreational activities unrelated to his work duties, including a personal, romantic relationship with Public Official 1."

The indictment also accuses Vappie of lying to investigators about his personal relationship with Cantrell. Prosecutors allege that Vappie and Cantrell exchanged personal and romantic messages and photographs via text message, voice message, and the encrypted messaging application WhatsApp.

The U.S. Attorney's Office says, "During an interview with FBI agents at VAPPIE’s residence on July 14, 2023, VAPPIE made several false statements, including that VAPPIE did not have, and had never had, a physical or romantic relationship with Public Official 1, that VAPPIE had never kissed Public Official 1, and that VAPPIE had never told Public Official 1 that VAPPIE loved Public Official 1."

Vappie was under scrutiny for multiple controversies. He faced allegations of payroll fraud for clocking work hours for personal time he spent with Mayor LaToya Cantrell, including time he spent with her on flights to and from events and at the city-owned Pontalba Apartment Cantrell formerly inhabited. Vappie faced renewed scrutiny this spring after a French Quarter resident took photos of Vappie and Cantrell dining together on the patio of a restaurant while Vappie was supposed to be on duty.

Cantrell is reportedly under federal investigation for possibly bribery and misuse campaign funds.