Frank Carone, former chief of staff to ex-New York Mayor Eric Adams, was arrested on Wednesday morning along with his brother Anthony and two other individuals as part of a federal bribery case. Sources familiar with the case, reported by ABC News, state that the arrests are connected to a city contract issued during the Adams administration. The indictment remained sealed, so specific charges were not immediately public, but the individuals were expected to be arraigned in Brooklyn federal court the same day.
Carone played a significant role in Adams' 2021 mayoral campaign and served as chief of staff from January 2022 to December 2022. After leaving the administration, he founded a political consulting firm. His lawyer, Arthur Aidala, described the indictment as "weak" and "based on purely circumstantial evidence," criticizing the government for a three-year investigation he claims targeted Carone first and then sought a crime, according to AOL Sports.
Separately, federal agents searched the homes of current and former New York Police Department leaders, including Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey, Manhattan South Chief James McCarthy, and former Deputy Commissioner Tarik Sheppard, in connection with a different bribery investigation. A law enforcement official clarified to AOL Sports that these searches were not related to Frank Carone's arrest. There have been no reported arrests in connection with these NYPD-related searches. This event follows recent charges against current NYC Mayor Eric Adams for corruption offenses involving illegal foreign contributions and undisclosed benefits, totaling over $100,000.
