Mayoral Aide Bribery Arrest
Former NYC Mayor Eric Adams' Chief of Staff Arrested in Federal Bribery Investigation
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Frank Carone, the former chief of staff to ex-New York City Mayor Eric Adams, was arrested by the FBI on June 24 as part of a federal bribery probe tied to a city migrant shelter contract, according to Associated Press. Carone's brother Anthony, also an attorney, and two Long Island individuals were arrested alongside him.
The arrests are the latest blow to the scandal-plagued Adams circle. Defense attorney Arthur Aidala called the indictment "weak" and "based on purely circumstantial evidence," claiming the government spent three years "to find a crime," Associated Press reported.
Bribery Probe Centers on Migrant Shelter Contracts
The alleged scheme involves a city contract tied to migrant shelters. Investigators looked at how Carone moved from City Hall to the private sector, according to The City. After leaving as chief of staff in January 2023, he launched a consulting and lobbying firm called Oaktree Solutions. The firm reportedly lobbied the Department of Homeless Services for shelter contracts while representing real estate investors linked to those same properties.
Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York had been building the case for roughly three years. The New York Times reported that grand jury subpoenas went out to clients of Oaktree Solutions as early as January 2026. A related fraud indictment against a friend of Adams, Zhan "Johnny" Petrosyants, landed in April 2026 and implicated businessmen connected to Carone.
Carone's Rise and Fall Inside Adams' City Hall
Carone served as Adams' chief of staff for all of 2022, his first year in office. He was a longtime Brooklyn power broker before taking the role, according to Newsday. His departure from City Hall in January 2023 was followed quickly by the launch of Oaktree Solutions, putting him squarely in a revolving-door position between government and private contracts.
Eric Adams' spokesperson Todd Shapiro praised Carone's "decades of public service" and said his "prayers are with his family," Newsday reported. Arraignments for all four arrested individuals were scheduled for the afternoon of June 24 in federal court in Brooklyn.
Carone Arrest Extends Adams Administration's Legal Woes
The Adams years were defined by overlapping federal probes. Adams himself was indicted in September 2024 on bribery and wire fraud charges tied to Turkish nationals — charges the Trump administration later dropped in 2025. Another top aide, Ingrid Lewis-Martin, was charged in 2025 with steering contracts for more than $75,000 in personal perks, according to FOX 5 NY.
Adams' job approval hit a low of 20% in a March 2025 Quinnipiac University poll after his indictment. By August 2025, he trailed Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani by 44 points to 7 in polling, showing a total collapse of his political support.
New NYC Mayor Uses Arrests to Signal Clean Break
Current NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a progressive who replaced Adams, ran on an anti-corruption platform. His allies have pointed to the Carone arrests as proof of what they call the "City for Sale" era under Adams, according to Spectrum News. The arrests are seen as bolstering his mandate and distancing his administration from the old Brooklyn political machine.
The investigation into migrant shelter contracts has also prompted calls for a full audit of emergency contracts issued during the 2023–2024 migrant crisis, according to The City. Critics argue the scandal raises serious questions about the cost and quality of services delivered to asylum seekers during that period.
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