Former NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ chief of staff arrested in corruption probe
By Gloria Pazmino, Kara Scannell, Eric Levenson, CNN
(CNN) — The former chief of staff to former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, the staffer’s brother and two others were indicted on bribery and money laundering conspiracy charges as part of a “scheme to exploit the city’s migrant crisis for profit,” according to a federal indictment unsealed Wednesday.
Frank Carone, known in the city’s political circles as a close adviser to Adams, was arrested Wednesday morning following a search of his home by federal law enforcement officers, a law enforcement source said.
The indictment, filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, also charges Carone’s brother, Anthony Carone, and employees Crystal Chen and Yan Po Zhu.
The four defendants are expected to be arraigned at 2 p.m.
Attorneys for Frank Carone said in a statement the prosecution was “utterly misguided” and praised his service to the city.
“He was instrumental in helping the city navigate an unprecedented migrant crisis, but had absolutely nothing to do with granting the temporary migrant shelter at the center of these charges,” attorneys Andrew Goldstein and Russell Capone said. “We believe a speedy trial is critical and the facts will vindicate Frank.”
Attorneys for Anthony Carone, Chen and Zhu could not be reached for comment.
The charges mark the latest accusations of wrongdoing against the former Adams administration. They come as current Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrates Wednesday after three of his allies won House Democratic primary elections.
The case against Carone stems from the city’s legal requirement to provide shelter to a surge of migrants who arrived in New York in 2022.
Frank Carone agreed to accept bribes from Zhu and Chen, funneled through Anthony Carone, in exchange for steering a multimillion-dollar contract to house migrants at their Long Island City hotel, the indictment alleges. Zhu and Chen paid about $120,000 to Frank Carone, which was laundered through Anthony Carone’s law firm, according to the indictment.
“The alleged conspiracy resulted in a massive betrayal of the American taxpayers’ trust by steering millions of dollars in funding for asylum housing in exchange for illegal bribe payments, which were then funneled to cover personal expenses,” said James C. Barnacle, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, in a statement.
A spokesperson for Adams issued a statement defending Carone’s career.
“Frank Carone has dedicated decades of his life to public service, the legal profession, and helping countless individuals, businesses, and charitable organizations throughout New York,” said Todd Shapiro, a spokesperson for Adams, in a statement. “This is an ongoing legal matter and my prayers are with his family.”
Separate investigation in Manhattan
A separate investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York targeted current and former members of the New York Police Department, including one former high-ranking official, two law enforcement sources briefed on the matter told CNN. It wasn’t immediately known whether those targeted in the search warrants were arrested.
The investigation is part of a long-running criminal probe into bribery and conduct alleged to have occurred years ago, a source said.
A spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed the NYPD-related investigation in a social media post.
“This morning, members of the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau and the FBI executed search warrants as part of a criminal investigation being pursued by the NYPD, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York,” Tisch wrote.
“The investigation is ongoing and concerns conduct by former and current members of the NYPD. When I became Police Commissioner, I promised New Yorkers that under my leadership the NYPD would conduct itself with integrity and that there would be a thorough investigation of any claim that members of service failed to meet that standard.”
Mamdani emphasized the importance of public trust in comments Wednesday morning.
“Our government should serve the public with integrity. Any corruption would amount to a serious violation of the responsibility within the NYPD, and a breach in public trust,” he said.
“As Commissioner Tisch said earlier today, this is an investigation that the NYPD is conducting with the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Commissioner Tisch has already shown a real commitment to cracking down on corruption and ensuring that the public servants in the NYPD are held to the highest standards. I’m confident that she will lead us through this process.”
The rise and fall of the Adams administration
Adams, a retired NYPD captain turned Brooklyn politico, served one term as mayor of New York, from 2022 to 2025. He focused his tenure on public safety but was dogged by accusations of corruption.
In 2024, federal prosecutors indicted Adams on charges of bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals in exchange for political favors. He pleaded not guilty.
Before the case could go to trial, the Trump administration moved to drop the charges in 2025, saying the prosecution had “unduly restricted” the mayor’s ability to crack down on illegal immigration.
The unusual move spurred a series of federal prosecutors to resign rather than carry out the order. They accused Trump officials of dropping the charges as part of a quid pro quo to get Adams to carry out their preferred policies.
The judge overseeing the case criticized the Trump administration’s motives for dropping the case but ultimately dismissed the charges and ordered that they could not be brought again.
Adams ran for reelection in 2025 but dropped out of the race before the election, citing low polling numbers.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire
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