New Orleans Mayor Pleads Not Guilty to Wire Fraud, Obstruction Charges

WASHINGTON—New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell on Sept. 10 pleaded not guilty to federal wire fraud and obstruction charges stemming from an alleged romantic relationship with her bodyguard. Cantrell was charged in August with six counts of wire fraud and one count of obstruction of justice—the first time in New Orleans history that a sitting mayor has faced federal criminal charges. Her bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, was charged with 12 counts of wire fraud and making a false statement to the FBI. As early as October 2021, Cantrell and Vappie, who were working for the New Orleans Police Department, were in an intimate personal relationship....