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Adams chief of staff arrested as former NYPD officials raided
Frank Carone, the former chief of staff to former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and several others were arrested by the FBI in connection with multiple federal bribery-related schemes.
NEW YORK CITY - Frank Carone, the former chief of staff to former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and several others were arrested by the FBI in connection with multiple federal bribery-related schemes. The arrest unfolded as a federal sweep targeted several NYPD officials.
What we know:
Carone was widely considered a right-hand man to Eric Adams, serving as his chief of staff during his first year in office. Carone stepped down from his City Hall position in late 2022 to return to the private sector.
The NYPD confirmed that Carone’s attorney brother Anthony, and Yan Po Zhu, a New York City real estate developer and hotel owner, were also arrested.
The homes of former Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, ex-Assistant Chief James McCarthy and former police spokesperson Tarik Sheppard were raided in a separate investigation, according to the New York Post.
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FBI raid breakdown: NYPD officials homes searched; Mayor Adams staff arrested
A series of federal raids that reach from City Hall to the highest rankings of the NYPD were carried out Wednesday morning.
"This morning, the NYPD and FBI together executed search warrants as part of a long-running, joint criminal investigation into several current and former members of the NYPD," according to law enforcement sources.
A NYPD spokesperson confirmed that Chief McCarthy has been modified, transferred, and replaced by Assistant Chief Melissa Eger.
Carone indictment
Dig deeper:
Frank Carone and his brother, Anthony, are facing sweeping federal charges for their roles in a bribery and money laundering scheme tied to New York City's migrant crisis.
According to a federal indictment, Frank used his official power between June 2022 and December 2023 to steer a highly lucrative $6,825,000 emergency shelter contract to Microtel in Long Island City. The hotel, owned by Yan Po Zhu and managed by Crystal Chen, had previously been rejected by the Department of Social Services due to community opposition and unsuitability. However, Carone allegedly pressured city officials to override these concerns and approve the location after Zhu explicitly texted him asking for help to secure the contract so he could refinance the property.
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In exchange for securing the multimillion-dollar contract, Zhu and Chen allegedly agreed to pay the Carone brothers $120,000 in bribes, which were disguised as legal fees through a sham 12-month retainer agreement. The indictment alleges the illicit payments were funneled into a dormant bank account controlled by Anthony's law firm. Anthony then routed the money to pay off his brother’s personal credit card bills and wrote checks directly to Frank's private consulting firm. In a translated text message intercepted during the investigation, Chen described the arrangement to a coworker, stating, "In the end, it's all about money and giving the two brothers a way out".
As federal investigators closed in on the scheme in Spring 2024, the Carone brothers allegedly attempted to cover their tracks by fabricating and backdating a fake promissory note to make the bribe money appear as a personal loan between the brothers, which they provided to investigators in October 2025.
The four defendants face a combined 13 federal counts, including federal program bribery, honest services wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy. The Carone brothers are additionally charged with obstruction of justice and subscribing to false tax returns for failing to report the illicit income to the IRS. If convicted, the government is also seeking the total forfeiture of all assets and property tied to the criminal proceeds.
NYPD response
What they're saying:
With former police officials swept up in the federal raids, NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch issued a statement providing further context on the department's involvement.
"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," Tisch stated in a post on X. "This investigation and our actions this morning are part of the ongoing effort to fulfill that commitment and hold the Department to its highest ideals."
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani responded to the raids during a press conference Wednesday morning:
"Our government should serve the public with integrity," Mamdani said. "Any corruption would amount to a serious violation of the responsibility within the NYPD and a breach of public trust. 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 am confident that she will lead us through this process."
In response to Carone's arrest, Todd Shapiro, a spokesperson for former NYC Mayor Eric Adams, released the following statement:
"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. This is an ongoing legal matter and my prayers are with his family."
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the New York Post and the NYPD.