Former NYC Mayor’s Ex-Chief of Staff Arrested in Federal Bribery Probe

On June 24, 2026, a Brooklyn federal grand jury unsealed a 13-count indictment charging former NYC mayor Eric Adams’s ex-chief of staff Frank Carone, his brother Anthony Carone, Queens hotel owner Yan Po Zhu, and employee Crystal Chen. The indictment lists bribery, wire fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice. All four were arrested, released on bond, and pleaded not guilty.

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The indictment alleges Carone secured a $6.8 million emergency shelter contract for Zhu’s Long Island City hotel in 2022, despite the Social Services Department’s rejection over size and neighborhood concerns. The award coincided with a surge of migrants from the southern border. The case follows other federal probes of the Adams administration, including a dismissed 2024 indictment of Adams.

WBAL - Baltimore News

Frank Carone, a Brooklyn Democratic Party lawyer, served as Adams’s chief of staff in 2022. His brother Anthony Carone operated the law firm that moved the alleged payments. Hotel owner Yan Po Zhu and employee Crystal Chen were also charged. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Winik led the prosecution.

PBS News Hour

Prosecutors say Zhu and Chen paid roughly $120,000 to Carone, funneled through Anthony Carone’s firm and used for personal expenses, including credit-card bills. The shelter contract itself totaled $6.8 million and was paid to the hotel despite earlier city objections.

CNN

Todd Shapiro said Carone had dedicated decades to public service and expressed prayers for his family. Arthur Aidala described the indictment as weak and based on circumstantial evidence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Winik said Carone “was entrusted to run our city government and instead put his own wealth and status above duty.” FBI’s Barnacle called the scheme “a massive betrayal of the American taxpayers’ trust.” NYPD Commissioner Tisch affirmed the department will conduct itself with integrity.

United Press International (UPI)

Aidala’s team repeatedly called the charges “not worth the paper upon which they are printed,” arguing the three-year probe produced only speculative evidence and that the case reflects political retaliation against the Adams administration’s immigration stance.

UsNews and World Report

On the same day, FBI agents and NYPD Internal Affairs executed search warrants at the homes of former Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, former Manhattan South Chief James McCarthy, and former Deputy Commissioner Tarik Sheppard. No arrests were reported, and officials said the police probe is unrelated to the Carone indictment.

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• “Frank Carone was entrusted to run our city government and instead put his own wealth and status above duty,” — Sarah Winik, Assistant U.S. Attorney

PBS News Hour

• “Today’s indictment is a sad day for our criminal justice system,” — Arthur Aidala, attorney for Frank Carone

The Independent

• “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,” — James C. Barnacle, FBI Assistant Director

CNN

• “When I became Police Commissioner, I promised New Yorkers that under my leadership the NYPD would conduct itself with integrity,” — Jessica Tisch, NYPD Commissioner

Bloomberg