Former New York Mayor Eric Adams’ one-time chief of staff was arrested Wednesday while the homes of several former law enforcement executives also were raided as part of multiple corruption probes underway into city officials and the largest local police department in the U.S.
Federal authorities searched the home of Frank Carone, also considered the ex-mayor’s top advisor, in an early morning operation, arresting the Democratic political power broker for an alleged bribery scheme, the New York Post reported from police sources.
Carone, while serving as Adams’ chief of staff, allegedly received a bribe funneled through his brother in connection to a homeless shelter contract with a hotel, sources told the Post. The brother in question, Anthony Carone, was also arrested in the raids.
Yan Po Zhu, the owner of the Queens hotel, and Zhu’s employee Crystal Chen were also cuffed in the alleged scheme, law enforcement sources said.
The exact charges were not immediately known. The full indictment is expected to be released in Brooklyn federal court Wednesday afternoon.
Separately, the Post reported, NYPD targeted with search warrants the homes of former Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, Assistant Chief James McCarthy, and former police spokesperson Tarik Sheppard, sources told the tabloid. No arrests were made Wednesday with those NYPD raids.
Said Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, “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. The investigation is ongoing and concerns conduct by former and current members of the NYPD.”
“When I became Police Commissioner,” she continued. “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.”
The police executive cases originated from an NYPD probe into Maddrey’s alleged misappropriation of funds. The FBI was called in to assist in that investigation.
Maddrey has made headlines before. He was forced to resign in 2024 after he was accused of allegedly forcing an underling to perform intimate favors in exchange for overtime.
Assistant Chief McCarthy has been placed on modified duty, according to the NYPD.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many total arrests were made in the alleged Carone scheme.
Adams’ spokesperson, Todd Shapiro, lauded Carone’s career in a statement Wednesday morning and said he was praying for him.
“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,” the statement said.
“This is an ongoing legal matter and my prayers are with his family,” Shapiro concluded.
Breitbart contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
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