Work from Home Lunch

A former New Orleans Police Department officer and bodyguard for the man who has been federally indicted was in court Wednesday to plead his case. Jeffrey Vappie was arraigned in federal court, where he entered a not guilty plea on seven counts of wire fraud and one count of making false statements charges. He was indicted last month. This comes as sources tell WDSU that Mayor LaToya Cantrell could also be facing federal charges. Cantrell was implicated in Vappie’s indictment as “Public Official One, mayor of the City of New Orleans.”She has not been officially charged with any crimes. His next court date on the matter is to be determined. Vappie indicted: Vappie is accused of incurring more than $47,000 in costs connected to work trips while he traveled with Cantrell. Those costs included meals, lodging, incidentals and his salary. According to the indictment, Vappie “knowingly submitted false timecards to NOPD in excessive payments.”According to the indictment, Vappie and Cantrell began a romantic relationship in November 2021, a relationship the indictment said Vappie routinely denied having. The indictment goes on to say that Vappie and Cantrell exchanged personal and romantic messages through photographs, text messages, voice notes and WhatsApp encrypted messages. Vappie is also accused of deleting the messages. Also included in the indictment was a letter that the feds say Vappie wrote to the mayor in the summer of 2022 when he was part of her security detail.”I’m in our space and feeling so in love with you,” Vappie wrote, “You got me baby and it feels so good! It’s crazy.”The indictment claims that Vappie and Cantrell often ate meals and consumed alcohol together while he was on the clock. Cantrell is also accused of appointing Vappie to the Housing Authority of New Orleans board, where he attended meetings while on the clock with NOPD, according to the indictment. Vappie is also accused of conducting multiple searches online regarding a case where the former mayor of Nashville was accused of having a relationship with her bodyguard. He also is accused of searching “How secure is What’s app?”The indictment goes on to say that Vappie tried to influence the former interim superintendent of the NOPD. The indictment does not name the interim superintendent, but Michelle Woodfork served in that role during the time Vappie worked with the mayor. According to the indictment, Vappie is accused of taking Woodfork to a daiquiri shop to discuss her demotion and “mitigate her disappointment” when she was not promoted. It is important to note that Cantrell has not been indicted. However, sources tell WDSU that she has been under investigation for weeks for her alleged involvement in Vappie’s timecards. As previously reported, Cantrell has received subpoenas dating back to a year ago. Her controversial use of the city-owned Pontalba apartment in the French Quarter was stripped by the city council. The city of New Orleans issued the following statement regarding the indictment: “Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation and out of respect for the integrity of the process, we will withhold any comments at this time.”The New Orleans Police Department issued the following statement regarding the indictment against Vappie: “Today, former Officer Jeffery Vappie was federally indicted. The NOPD fully cooperates with federal authorities and remains committed to upholding the highest standards of accountability and integrity. We are dedicated to maintaining the trust of our community through transparency and unwavering service. For further details, please refer to the appropriate federal agencies.”The attorney representing Vappie’s wife in his divorce case said she has no comment. The Metropolitan Crime Commission issued the following statement regarding the indictment against Vappie: “Today, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana announced the federal indictment of former New Orleans Police Officer Jeffrey Vappie, II for seven counts of wire fraud and one count of making false statements to the FBI.”The MCCs assistance in this matter is acknowledged in the U.S. Attorneys press release linked below.”The MCC congratulates the FBI, the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Eastern District of Louisiana, and the New Orleans Office of Inspector General for their work in obtaining this indictment.”The New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation issued the following statement regarding Vappie’s indictment:”While the indictment of Officer Vappie does not come as a surprise in light of the ongoing investigation, it should be noted that there are 900 women and men at the NOPD who daily perform their duties with honesty and integrity.””This indictment should not overshadow the great work of our officers resulting in homicides, shootings, armed robberies and carjackings down at nearly double the national average.”Timeline leading up to indictment: In September 2022 the Metropolitan Crime Commission issued a report shedding light on Cantrells use of the then-city-owned Pontalba apartment. The MCC issued photos of her entering the apartment, attending gym classes in the French Quarter and sitting on the balcony. The report accused the mayor of living at the apartment full-time. In November 2022, it came to light that one of the mayors officers on her security detail, Vappie, was accused of having a relationship with the mayor while also working on her detail. An investigation was launched by the PIB into the allegations and Vappie was later taken off the mayors detail. Vappies timecards would become the center of a PIB investigation. His timecards showed him routinely working more than 16-hour shifts while serving on the mayors security team. Leaked audio from the PIB investigation showed Vappie being grilled on staying at the Pontalba apartments at the same time as the mayor. A divorce filing from Vappies wife alleged that their possible relationship started in 2021. The PIBs investigation concluded that Vappie violated NOPDs professionalism rules and duties as well as timecard infractions. A federal judge ruled that the PIBs investigation violated the consent decree due to the way it was handled. Some of those violations include:Failing to accurately and completely record all allegations against VappieFailing to give meaningful consideration to circumstantial evidence available to the PIB investigators that could have suggested to a reasonable person that Vappie charged the NOPD for time not worked.Failing to take reasonable measures to protect the confidentiality of its investigatory materials.In response to this federal ruling, NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick has sent Judge Morgan a remedial plan. She is promising to improve PIB training and be more transparent with investigations with monitors during the process.Following the PIB investigation and federal ruling, Vappie was reassigned to the mayors security team in January 2023. Vappie continued on the mayors detail until April 25, when new photos surfaced of Cantrell and Vappie eating lunch in the French Quarter. The MCC pressed for an investigation into whether or not the lunch was paid for by the city.The pictures showed Cantrell and Vappie drinking wine during the lunch. The MCC also questioned whether or not Vappie was on the clock. In June, it was confirmed that Vappie would be resigning from the NOPD effective June 29. He had been with the department since 1997.