City Hall, NYPD Corruption
Federal Raids Widen Corruption Probe, Linking High-Ranking NYPD Officials and Former Adams Aide
Key Points
Carone indictment details: former Adams chief of staff Frank Carone is accused of taking more than $100,000 from a Queens hotel owner to secure a city contract for emergency housing for migrants in 2022; co-defendants include his brother Anthony Carone, hotel owner Yan Po Zhu, and hotel employee Crystal Chen, with charges of bribery, wire fraud and money laundering.
The other NYPD officials connected to the probe include Tarik Sheppard (retired) and James McCarthy (currently chief of Manhattan South); McCarthy was placed on modified duty and replaced by Assistant Chief Melissa Eger, while Sheppard retired last year.
Maddrey’s past allegations and resignation context: Maddrey resigned in December 2024 after sexual misconduct allegations that he allegedly demanded sexual favors from a subordinate in exchange for overtime pay and professional perks.
The raids and investigations are part of a broad, cross-agency effort that appears to extend from City Hall to the highest ranks of the NYPD, with federal involvement by the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
Federal agents and NYPD Internal Affairs executed coordinated raids across New York City on June 24, targeting the homes of three senior police officials in a widening bribery probe, Newsday reported. Hours later, Frank Carone — former chief of staff to ex-Mayor Eric Adams — was arrested and hit with a 13-count federal indictment for allegedly taking $120,000 in bribes to steer a $6.8 million migrant shelter contract to a Queens hotel.
The raids and the Carone arrest paint a sweeping picture of corruption stretching from City Hall to the highest ranks of the NYPD, with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York leading the charge, according to CBS News.
Three NYPD Brass Raided, One Stripped of Badge
Agents searched the homes of former Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, retired Deputy Commissioner Tarik Sheppard, and Assistant Chief James McCarthy on the morning of June 24, Gothamist reported. McCarthy was immediately placed on modified duty — meaning his gun and badge were taken — and replaced at Manhattan South by Assistant Chief Melissa Eger.
Maddrey had already resigned in December 2024 after Lt. Quathisha Epps accused him of demanding sex acts in exchange for overtime pay and career perks, according to CBS News. He said the acts were consensual. Investigators are now also scrutinizing whether promotions and assignments inside the NYPD were bought and sold under his watch. Sheppard retired in 2025 and has not been charged.
Carone Accused of Selling Migrant Shelter Contract for Cash
The indictment, unsealed in the Eastern District of New York, accuses Frank Carone of using his City Hall post to flip a rejected hotel bid into a $6.8 million contract. The Microtel Inn by Wyndham in Long Island City had been flagged as unsuitable, but landed the deal after hotel operator Yan Po Zhu allegedly paid Carone $120,000, according to the Department of Justice.
Co-defendants include Carone's brother Anthony, who allegedly funneled bribe money through his law firm to cover Frank's personal credit card bills, City & State NY reported. Zhu and hotel employee Crystal Chen round out the four defendants. Prosecutors say a text from Zhu to Carone — "I asked my partners to pay you for a year" — was deleted after Carone learned of the grand jury investigation, per the Associated Press.
Tisch Claims Reform; Defense Calls It a Witch Hunt
Commissioner Jessica Tisch framed the raids as proof of her commitment to clean house. "I promised New Yorkers that under my leadership the NYPD would conduct itself with integrity," she said, adding that "this investigation is part of the ongoing effort to fulfill that commitment," according to Newsday.
Carone's lawyer Arthur Aidala pushed back hard. He called the indictment "a sad day for our criminal justice system," saying it "epitomizes the government first finding a target and then spending three years to find a crime," per the Associated Press. No charges have been filed against Maddrey, Sheppard, or McCarthy yet, and the investigation remains open.
Adams Era Under Deeper Scrutiny as Probe Expands
The Carone case lands as the Adams administration's legacy continues to collapse. Adams himself faced federal corruption charges that were dismissed in 2024, but the new arrests deepen questions about how his inner circle operated, according to SILive. The migrant crisis — which cost New York City over $1.8 billion in emergency housing — created a flood of fast-moving contracts that investigators now say were ripe for abuse.
The top charges carry a maximum of 20 years in prison. The FBI, NYPD, and SDNY are still actively investigating, meaning more charges could come. Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's allies have already cited the raids as a reason to overhaul the city's contract oversight office, per the Delta Plex News.
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