New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was indicted Friday in a scheme linked to an alleged relationship she had with a member of her security detail.
Cantrell is facing charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice, false statements, obstruction of justice and false declaration before a grand jury.
Former New Orleans Police Department officer Jeffrey Vappie is facing new allegations in Cantrell’s indictment.
In the indictment, an associate of Mayor Cantrell’s is accused of warning her of her alleged relationships and travel with Vappie, specifically citing the Nashville mayor’s affair.
“It is a FELONY to have your lover be paid to work and have his travel paid for by the city,” one text message read from an associate. “That Nashville mayor had to pay back like 50k AND serve three years probation. She is done! Please don’t’ let this be your path LaToya.”
The alleged affair has an eerily similar situation to that of former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry.
Vappie is even accused of searching online about Barry’s federal charges in a separate indictment he was charged with last year.
Barry, a one-time rising star in the Democratic Party with big plans to remake Nashville, resigned in March of 2018 after she pled guilty to cheating the city of Nashville out of thousands of dollars to carry on an affair with her bodyguard.
Barry and her former bodyguard, police Sgt. Robert Forrest separately pleaded guilty to felony theft. Barry’s resignation was part of a plea bargain with prosecutors. She and Forrest were sentenced to three years’ probation, according to the Associated Press.
The AP states that Barry agreed to pay the city $11,000 while her bodyguard Forrest would repay $45,000 paid to him in overtime when he was not actually performing his duties as her security chief.
In court, Barry didn’t say how she stole money from the city, but investigators have said they believe she engaged in the affair while she was on city-paid trips and Forrest was on the clock, according to the Associated Press. The district attorney’s office later said the money Barry paid was for Forrest’s travel expenses while he was on personal time.
Cantrell also traveled with Vappie on multiple occasions, which the indictment claims cost the city more than $70,000 for just his portion of travel.
It is unclear if Cantrell would choose to resign should she be indicted.
For more on the indictment, click here.
READ MORE:Learn more about the Nashville mayor affair referenced in Mayor Cantrell’s indictment
