Overview

• A federal grand jury returned an indictment against New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell on August 15; her attorney confirmed that Magistrate Judge Eva Dossier read her name aloud in court.
• The specific charges have not been disclosed and federal authorities plan to unseal the indictment details during an afternoon press briefing.
• Reporting by The Guardian and WWL Louisiana indicates former bodyguard Jeffrey Vappie is named as a co-defendant in the new indictment.
• The action caps a probe dating to 2022 subpoenas and follows related 2024 indictments of city building inspector Randy Farrell and earlier charges against Vappie.
• Cantrell, who is term-limited and will leave office in January, has faced a turbulent second term marked by clashes with the City Council and voter-approved charter changes that limited her powers.