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Earlier today, a federal grand jury returned an 18 count superseding indictment charging New Orleans mayor Latoya Cantrell and former New Orleans police department officer Jeffrey Paul Vappi the second. They are charged with a series of fraud, obstruction of justice, and false statement offenses for their role in a nearly three year fraud scheme that we allege exploited their public authority and positions. The indictment alleges that in October 2021, mayor Cantrell and Jeffrey Vappi, a member of her executive protection team, developed a personal, intimate relationship. From that time until mister Vappi's retirement in June 2024, they embarked on a scheme to defraud the city of New Orleans and the New Orleans Police Department by exploiting Vappi's job and Cantrell's authority as mayor to have the city and the New Orleans Police Department pay Vappi's salary and expenses during the times that Vappi claimed to be on duty, But when he he was actually engaged in personal activities, usually with miss Cantrell, but sometimes alone at the Pantalba apartment. The indictment describes the steps Cantrell and Vappi took to hide their scheme.