New Orleans Mayor Pleads Not Guilty to Wire Fraud, Obstruction Charges
If convicted, LaToya Cantrell and her former bodyguard, Jeffrey Vappie, face up to 20 years in prison.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell speaks onstage at the Evening Concert Series during the 2021 Essence Festival of Culture presented by Coca-Cola at the University of New Orleans in New Orleans, La., on June 26, 2021. Paras Griffin/Getty Images
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.
Jackson Richman
Reporter
Jackson Richman is a Washington correspondent for The Epoch Times. In addition to Washington politics, he covers the intersection of politics and sports/sports and culture. He previously was a writer at Mediaite and Washington correspondent at Jewish News Syndicate. His writing has also appeared in The Washington Examiner. He is an alum of George Washington University.
