Prosecutors in New Orleans Frequently Charge Public Officials

High-Profile Prosecutions in New Orleans

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, based in New Orleans, has recently secured a multi-count indictment against Mayor Latoya Cantrell. This development highlights the office's long-standing history of pursuing high-profile public corruption cases.

In 2014, the office successfully prosecuted former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on federal bribery, money laundering, and other corruption charges. Two years later, it secured a conviction against former St. Tammany Parish District Attorney Walter Reed, who was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.

In 2000, under then-U.S. Attorney Eddie Jordan, the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted and convicted former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards on corruption charges. Edwards spent years in prison for his crimes.

Public corruption cases typically involve alleged wrongdoing by public officials and law enforcement personnel. Susan Long, Ph.D., who leads Syracuse University’s Civic Research Data Lab, notes that the federal government plays a role in prosecuting not only federal officials but also state and local ones.

The Role of TRAC in Tracking Prosecutions

Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) tracks the number of prosecutions by U.S. Attorney Offices across the country. According to a TRAC report, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Orleans was the most active in prosecuting official corruption during 2021.

During the first six months of fiscal year 2021, federal prosecutors in New Orleans filed public corruption charges against 34 people, more than any other district. In comparison, the Washington D.C. office filed charges against 16 individuals. When considering population, Louisiana’s Eastern District ranked second behind the D.C. office, showing high per capita activity.

Long emphasized that the Eastern District of Louisiana was number one among all federal judicial districts in the number of official corruption prosecutions during that period.

Recent Trends in Prosecutions

A TRAC report issued in April 2024 showed that the New Orleans U.S. Attorney’s Office reported 40 new federal prosecutions in April of last year. However, this number was down 21.6% compared to the previous month. When comparing monthly 2024 criminal prosecutions with those from the same period in 2023, the number of filings increased by 113.7%.

Data for 2025 indicates that as of June, the DOJ reported 40 new prosecutions in Louisiana’s Eastern District. If the current pace continues, the annual total of prosecutions could reach 480 for this fiscal year.

Expanding Beyond Public Corruption

Federal prosecutors in New Orleans have not limited their efforts to public corruption cases. In 2022, New Orleans District Attorney Jason Williams and an associate were put on trial on federal tax charges. Despite maintaining his innocence, Williams was ultimately found not guilty by a federal jury.

According to former Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Coman, the case involved allegations that pre-dated Williams’ term in office and related to his private business.

The Latest High-Profile Case

The latest high-profile prosecution by federal prosecutors in New Orleans involves Mayor Latoya Cantrell, making her the city’s first sitting mayor to be indicted. While she is presumed innocent until proven otherwise, federal prosecutors believe they have a strong public corruption case against her. Cantrell is term-limited and is set to leave office in a matter of months.

Discretion in Prosecuting Corruption

Long noted that with official corruption, there are not enough resources to prosecute everyone who breaks the law, which means discretion plays a significant role in such cases. The ongoing prosecution of Cantrell underscores the continued focus on public officials and the potential consequences of alleged misconduct.