New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was indicted Friday on federal charges including conspiracy, fraud and obstruction, following allegations of trying to hide a romantic relationship with her bodyguard.

Prosecutors allege that in October 2021, Cantrell and Jeffrey Vappie, her bodyguard, developed a "personal, intimate relationship," said Michael Simpson, acting U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

Since Vappie's retirement in June 2024, the two had "embarked on a scheme to defraud the city of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department," Simpson said during a news conference on Friday.

The indictment alleges that Vappie was paid as if he was working when he and the mayor met alone in apartments and traveled to vineyards. Simpson said Cantrell arranged for Vappie t

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