A chief of staff of former New York City Mayor Eric Adams and three other people have been arrested as part of an investigation into an alleged bribery scheme involving a city contract, according to reports.
Frank Carone, along with his brother and two others, were taken into custody, a source told The Associated Press.
No other details were immediately available and indictments were expected to be unsealed later Wednesday.
Carone served as chief-of-staff during Adams’ first year in office. He played a big role in getting Adams elected in 2021, and in his failed re-election bid last year, ABC7 reported.
Carone’s lawyer, Arthur Aidala, called the indictment “weak” and “based on purely circumstantial evidence that’s not worth the paper upon which it is printed.”
“Today’s indictment is a sad day for our criminal justice system,” Aidala said in a statement. “It epitomizes the government first finding a target and then spending three years and enormous taxpayer resources to find a crime.”
In a separate statement, Todd Shapiro, a spokesperson for Adams, said Carone “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,” Shapiro said.
The defendants are expected to arraigned Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Downtown Brooklyn, according to the news outlet.
More to follow...
