New Orleans mayor indicted on federal corruption charges | New Orleans
New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell was accused of federal corruption charges after spent about three years of investigation on Friday.
The indictment against Cantrel came after the indictment of local businessman Randy Farrell, accused of exchanging gifts with the mayor in September 2024, so that he would shoot a municipal employee investigating Farrell’s building inspection company.
The alleged gifts include a view in January 2019 at Super Bowl on The Line, a mobile phone and a mobile phone in the city of Chris Steak House and a lunch.
Cantrel also conducted an investigation for a alleged relationship with a retired New Orleans police officer who served as his protection. Protection, Jeffrey Vappie, in fact a “personal and romantic relationship with the mayor claimed that it was at work.
Vappie was accused of as a common defendant in the indictment against Cantrell on Friday, not all details were available immediately, Guardian reporting partner WWL Louisiana reported. Shortly after retiring from New Orleans’s police force, he was accused of lying to wire fraud and FBI agents in July 2024.
The allegations brought to mind the 2018 scandal cost Nashville Mayor Megan Barry focused on a relationship with Robert Forrest, the work and protection. Prosecutors, who accused Vappie against the 2024, claimed that they had explored this case online two years ago.
Both Vappie and Farrell claim that he was not guilty of the accusations against them before.
The US Department of Justice, led by Donald Trump, took the indictment against Cantrell for the second presidency of the Republican for the second presidency of the Republican, while the Federal Investigation of the Mayor began in the second year of his democratic friend Joe Biden in Oval Office.
Eddie Castaing, Cantrel’s lawyer, confirmed that an indictment was returned to Associated Press on Friday. He also said that his name was read loudly by a Federal Magistrate Judge as a defendant.
Cantrell, who lives in Compton, California, had previously become a member of the New Orleans Municipal Assembly Winning election As Mayor in November 2017. He became the first female mayor of New Orleans and re -elected Four years later.
In August 2023, the second period, which saw the unexpected death of her husband, will end in January 2026. Cantrel was limited to looking for another clue as the mayor, and several candidates enrolled in October to change it in the primary election.
On Friday, Cantrell became the first Mayor of New Orleans accused of federal crimes when he was still in office. The federal investigation about him began with 2022 court subpoena regarding an image consultant he employed.
Only one person who served as the Mayor of New Orleans was accused by the US government for the accusations of federal corruption throughout the 307 -year history of the city: Ray Nagin.
On August 29, 2005, Nagin destroyed the city during the hurricane Katrina, Federal Levees’ failure and caused about 1,400 deaths. In 2014, he was convicted of bribery charges, honest services wire fraud, money laundering, false tax returns and conspiracy. prisoner In prison for up to 10 years.
. Associated Press contributed to reporting
