New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell's former bodyguard has pleaded not guilty in federal court to wire fraud and making false statements charges.
According to our partners at nola.com, retired New Orleans Police Department officer Jeffrey Vappie entered that plea Wednesday during an arraignment at the Hall Boggs Federal Courthouse.
A federal grand jury indicted Vappie last month on those charges after federal prosecutors provided evidence that Vappie lied to investigators about the nature of his relationship with Cantrell. Prosecutors also accuse Vappie of clocking into work while engaging in "personal, recreational activities unrelated to his work duties, including a personal, romantic relationship" with Cantrell.
Vappie's attorneys previously issued statements proclaiming their client's innocence.
