With the indictment of New York Mayor Eric Adams, a closer look at who's who in the federal investigations into NYC's top officials
NEW YORK -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams became the city's first sitting mayor to be indicted on federal charges on Sept. 26, after months of subpoenas and several high profile investigations of top officials in his administration.
In the five count indictment, prosecutors hit Adams with campaign finance, bribery and conspiracy charges.
Prosecutors said Adams had, for years, solicited and accepted illegal campaign contributions and luxury travel, and didn't disclose those gifts.
The investigation began back in Nov. 2023, when federal authorities searched the home of Adams' chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs. Sources said federal authorities were scrutinizing campaign donations to Adams' 2021 mayoral campaign, and whether it received illegal donations from Turkey through straw donors.
Prosecutors said, however, that Adams had been receiving illegal campaign donations since 2016.
While prosecutors brought those charges against Adams on Sept. 26, they also emphasized their work was not yet done, and the probes are continuing.
The day after Adams was indicted, feds served a subpoena on his chief advisor Ingrid Lewis Martin and seized her phones. Her attorney Arthur Aidala said Martin "will cooperate fully with any and all investigations" and "is not the target of any case of which we are aware."
Sources say Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and the city's Department of Investigation are looking into the city's leasing of commercial properties and a number of officials, including Lewis-Martin and Diana Boutross, a broker involved with city leases.
Flurry of federal activity
Numerous top members of the Adams administration have recently been visited by federal authorities, who are said to be looking into several different matters.
Former Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned after his home was searched and phone was seized as part of a federal raid of several members of the administration.
Additional top officials, including Schools Chancellor David Banks, his brother Deputy Mayor Philip Banks III and the chancellor's wife First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, also had their phones seized. All three have also joined the growing list of departures from the administration.
Authorities have not revealed why the officials had their homes searched, or what the investigations are all about.
A closer look at who's who:
Brianna Suggs: In November of 2023, the FBI raided the home of to Adams fundraiser Brianna Suggs. Suggs has not been charged with a crime, and she has since been reassigned from fundraising for the Adams campaign. The search was part of an investigation into whether the Adams campaign received illegal donations from Turkey through straw donors. Reportedly, employees of a Brooklyn construction company allegedly made donations to the campaign, but when questioned, some of them could not recall doing so.
As part of the same investigation, the FBI also searched the homes of two other people in the mayor's circle. Sources close to the investigation identified them as Cenk Ocal, a former Turkish Airlines executive who served on Adams' transition team, and Rana Abbasova, who worked in the mayor's international affairs office. Abbasova is reportedly cooperating with the feds, and sources say she has been fired.
Authorities are also looking into whether someone in the Fire Department sped up inspections of a new Turkish consulate that would allow it to open near the United Nations building. On Sept. 16, federal prosecutors announced a bribery indictment of two top FDNY officials for allegedly carrying out a similar scheme to expedite other projects. One of those chiefs has since pleaded guilty as part of a plea deal.
Edward Caban: The former commissioner came up through the ranks of the NYPD. He started out in 1991 as a police officer in the South Bronx. Promotions to sergeant, lieutenant, captain, deputy inspector, inspector and first deputy commissioner followed through the years. He became New York City's 46th police commissioner in July of 2023, after Keechant Sewell stepped down, and became the first Latino to lead the department.
He resigned as police commissioner after federal agents raided his home.
James Caban: James Caban is under scrutiny by federal authorities for allegedly working as a fixer for restaurants and nightclubs in Manhattan that were having trouble with the NYPD. He allegedly worked to smooth over things like noise complaints and other violations.
James Caban was formerly an NYPD officer who left under a cloud amid allegations having to do with the improper use of force.
Philip Banks: Philip Banks III was appointed deputy mayor for public safety in January 2022. Previously, he was a member of the NYPD for 28 years, ultimately serving as chief of department before stepping down in 2014.
At the time, Banks appeared in photos with businessmen Jeremy Reichberg and Jona Rechnitz. Reichberg was charged with bribing top police officials with gifts, including trips and providing the service of a prostitute while on a trip to Las Vegas. Rechnitz got a plea deal to testify in several corruption cases. Banks was not charged in that investigation, but was listed as an unindicted coconspirator in the case.
Philip Banks' home was among those raided on Sept. 4, and sources say his cellphone was seized. Sources say on Sept. 6, electronics were removed from the Verizon building near One Police Plaza, where Banks' office is located.
Adams confirmed Banks' resignation on Monday, Oct. 7.
"He stated he wants to transition to do some other things with his life, he doesn't want this to be a constant burden on the work that we're doing in the city, and I accepted his resignation," the mayor said.
Banks' brother, David Banks, is the chancellor of New York City Public Schools.
David Banks: In December 2021, before Eric Adams had even been officially sworn in as mayor, he announced David Banks would be the new schools chancellor. Banks is a Brooklyn native who began his career as a teacher in Crown Heights. He went on to work as an assistant principal before co-founding the Bronx School of Law, Government and Justice and founding the Eagle Academy.
Banks addressed the federal investigation days later, saying his lawyer has been told he is "absolutely not a target in whatever this investigation is about."
"I always live my life with integrity, every day of my life, and anybody who knows me, knows that. My staff knows it, the folks who I've worked with for many, many years know that well," he said. "So we'll all wait and see where these investigations go. Other than that, I am very, very focused on my work."
Later in September, Banks announced he would retire at the end of the year. A week later, he said he would actually be stepping down months earlier on Oct. 16.
The home Banks shares with First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright was also among those raided on Sept. 4. Banks and Wright were engaged at the time. Sources tell CBS News New York the couple got married on Martha's Vineyard on Sept. 28.
Sheena Wright: Wright joined the Adams administration as deputy mayor of strategic initiatives in January 2022 before being appointed first deputy mayor in January 2023, taking over for Lorraine Grillo. Prior to her time in the Adams administration, Wright was the first female president and CEO of United Way of New York City and CEO of Abyssinian Development Corporation. She also previously practiced law and served on the city's Education Sector Advisory Council and state's New York Forward Re-Opening Advisory Board.
Sources say Wright's cellphone was seized when her home was raided.
Adams confirmed Wright's resignation on Oct. 8, saying Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer will take over the role.
Terence Banks: Philip and David Banks also have another brother, Terence Banks, who has been visited by federal investigators.
CBS News New York learned that Terence Banks' firm, the Pearl Alliance, represents companies that have contracts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars with a number of city agencies. He is not a registered lobbyist, however.
His attorney told the Associated Press his home was searched by the FBI.
"We have been assured by the government that Mr. Banks is not a target of this investigation," Banks' attorney Timothy Sini said.
Sources tell CBS News New York the home of the NYPD School Safety Division's former commanding officer, Kevin Taylor, was searched and his cellphones seized in connection with the investigation.
The New York Times reports the search was part of a probe into a potential bribery scheme involving city contracts reportedly related to SaferWatch, a tech company that sells panic buttons to schools and police across the country.
Timothy Pearson: Timothy Pearson was a senior advisor to the mayor for public safety. His home was part of the raid on Sept. 4.
On Sept. 30, Pearson announced his resignation. Pearson was a close confidant of Adams' for years. He spent 30 years with the NYPD and 11 in the private sector before Adams appointed him as senior adivor.
Pearson oversaw migrant shelters, their contracts and security, and advised the mayor on new technology for the NYPD.
"I've decided to focus on family, self-care and new endeavors," Pearson wrote.
"We appreciate Tim's decades of service to this city and wish him well," Adams said in a statement.
Sources in City Hall said there were no present plans to replace him.
Robert Gault: Deputy Inspector Robert Gault is commanding officer of the NYPD's Midtown North Precinct in Manhattan and former commander of the 10th Precinct in Chelsea - both precincts have nightclubs in their districts. Police sources tell CBS News New York that investigators have confiscated Gault's cellphones as part of the probe.
Other Adams-related investigations
Tom Donlon: Interim Police Commissioner Tom Donlon's homes were searched roughly a week after he took over the NYPD following Caban's resignation. Donlon said federal agents "took materials that came into my possession approximately 20 years ago and are unrelated to my work with the New York City Police Department."
There was no immediate word on why federal agents searched Donlon's homes, or which of several investigations into top Adams administration officials it might be related to, if any.
Mohamed Bahi: The mayor's liaison to the Muslim community is the only other member of his administration to face charges in these investigations.
Bahi is charged with witness tampering and destruction of evidence in connection with an investigation of unlawful contributions to the 2021 mayoral campaign. The complaint alleges Bahi tried to delete messaging apps from his cellphone when officers came to his house to execute a search warrant.
Winnie Greco: In March of this year, federal agents searched properties belonging to Winnie Greco, another former Adams fundraiser who served as the mayor's director of Asian affairs. The FBI also raided the New World Mall on Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, which hosted several fundraisers for Adams' 2021 mayor campaign.
Greco tendered her resignation on Oct. 7, along with Bahi.
Molly Schaeffer: Molly Schaeffer is the director of the mayor's Office of Asylum Seeker Operations. Sources said federal authorities subpoenaed Schaeffer in September seeking her testimony, and she has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Again, it wasn't immediately clear which of the various investigations into top Adams administration officials the subpoena was related to.
A spokesperson for Adams said "we expect all team members to fully comply with any ongoing inquiry. Molly Schaeffer is an integral part of our team and works hard every day to deliver for New Yorkers."
