Frank Carone, the former chief of staff to ex-New York City Mayor Eric Adams, was arrested Wednesday on charges of accepting more than $100,000 in bribes to steer a lucrative migrant shelter contract to a Queens hotel, according to a federal indictment unsealed Wednesday. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The indictment, returned June 12, accuses Carone of leveraging his position to commit bribery, wire fraud, and money laundering. His brother, Anthony Carone, hotel owner Yan Po Zhu, and hotel employee Crystal Chen were also charged.
Prosecutors allege Carone accepted bribes from Zhu and Chen to secure a multimillion-dollar shelter contract for their hotel, which city officials said was smaller than two other proposed hotels and could house fewer migrants. The contract was awarded amid an influx of migrants to New York.
Carone's lawyer, Arthur Aidala, called the indictment "not worth the paper upon which it is printed," stating: "Today's indictment is a sad day for our criminal justice system. It epitomizes the government first finding a target and then spending three years and enormous taxpayer resources to find a crime."
Carone, a longtime Brooklyn power broker, is credited as an architect of Adams' political rise. He is also known for his role in a controversy involving a Brooklyn pastor who allowed pop star Sabrina Carpenter to film a provocative music video at his church.
Adams himself was indicted on bribery charges in 2024 for allegedly accepting illegal campaign contributions from Turkish officials, but the case was dismissed by the Justice Department. Adams denied wrongdoing but abandoned his reelection campaign last year. The former mayor was not accused in Carone's indictment.
Zhu's lawyer, Stephen Scaring, said the hotel owner will plead not guilty. Chen's lawyer declined to comment. Messages were left for Anthony Carone's lawyer.