A staffer for New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams was fired Thursday after a Brooklyn bar proprietor claimed the staffer tried to extort cash from him by leaning on former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban’s twin brother. The information comes amid a rising federal probe of Adams’ internal circle.
Ray Martin, an operations supervisor within the metropolis’s neighborhood affairs unit, was terminated after a bombshell WNBC report with a Coney Island bar proprietor saying Martin tried to dealer a take care of James Caban, the dual brother of former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, who resigned Thursday. The purported deal was meant to repair the bar proprietor’s issues with the NYPD.
Shamel Kelly, the bar proprietor who operated the “Juice and Moore Bar” alongside Mermaid Avenue, mentioned he was advised if he employed and paid the police commissioner’s brother, he would get assist and higher remedy from the NYPD, in line with the report.
Kelly had racked up dozens of noise complaints about loud music, and police from the sixtieth Precinct stored displaying up, hurting his comparatively new enterprise.
NYPD BOSS RESIGNS AS DEM MAYOR’S INNER CIRCLE FACES POSSIBLE CORRUPTION PROBE
New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams and New York Metropolis Police Commissioner Edward Caban attend a information convention at 1 Police Plaza in New York Metropolis April 3, 2024. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)
“I felt it was like I got an ultimatum. It’s like either you gonna get with this, or you gonna get shut down,” Kelly advised NBC New York.
“[Martin] just said he was an assistant of Eric Adams. He said he knows people, and he dropped the Eddie Caban name because I guess he is the NYPD commissioner, and I was having problems with the NYPD.”
Kelly alleges he reached out to James Caban, who advised him he may assist Kelly together with his NYPD issues if he paid him about $2,500 up entrance. Kelly offered WNBC with cellphone data and textual content messages from August 2023 wherein he claims Martin inspired him to contact James Caban.
Kelly’s enterprise was a juice bar by day and licensed to serve alcohol on weekend nights. He declined the alleged provide from Martin and ultimately shuttered his enterprise in February.
New York Metropolis Corridor tells Fox Information it was unaware of the allegations made in opposition to Martin till the report broke.
“After receiving this inquiry, we immediately began an internal review and found that Mr. Martin violated the terms of his employment,” a press release offered to Fox Information mentioned.
“Mr. Martin was terminated for cause yesterday. We expect all city employees to act ethically and in the public interest. Because WNBC just reported that both the DOJ and DOI are investigating this matter, we are unable to comment further out of sensitives to their investigations.”
A staffer for New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams was fired Thursday after a Brooklyn bar proprietor claimed he was extorted for cash by former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban’s twin brother. (Adam Grey/Getty Photos)
James Caban’s attorneys advised WNBC he “unequivocally denies any wrongdoing and that his work as a consultant and liaison between the department and a private company was perfectly legal, especially given his previous career as a NYPD officer.
“Our consumer has absolutely cooperated with regulation enforcement and, as soon as their investigation is full, will probably be clear that these claims are unfounded and lack benefit,” the statement said.
Martin served as operations coordinator since April 2023. Immediately before that, he worked in the Office of Media and Entertainment.
James Caban, meanwhile, is under investigation for reportedly selling consulting services to nightclubs under the guise the services would protect the nightclubs from police scrutiny.
Federal agents served a warrant on Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III, pictured speaking at New York City Hall. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
That investigation led to his brother Edward Caban resigning as the city’s police commissioner Thursday, days after federal agents raided the homes of the Caban brothers and those of other city officials and seized their electronic devices as part of a growing federal probe. Edward Caban is not under investigation, his attorneys have said.
Rumors of a pending resignation have swirled for days after the Caban raids. Federal agents served warrants on three other high-ranking Adams aides on the same day — First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III and Timothy Pearson, a former NYPD official turned mayoral adviser.
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(L-R) First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, NYC Council Member Gale Brewer, District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Khary Lazarre-White attend the 19th Annual Voices Gala at The Ziegfeld Ballroom May 9, 2024, in New York City. (Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Last year, federal agents seized Adams’ devices as he was leaving an event in Manhattan and raided the home of one of his top fundraisers. Adams has denied any wrongdoing but confirmed last month he had received a subpoena from federal prosecutors and that he and his team are cooperating.
Adams appointed Edward Caban as the NYPD’s first Hispanic commissioner in July 2023.
He has been replaced by interim Commissioner Tom Donlon, a retired FBI agent who beforehand led the Nationwide Risk Heart and oversaw the Terrorism Watch Listing.
Fox Information’ Michael Ruiz, Alexis McAdams, Landon Mion and Maria Paronich and The Related Press contributed to this report.
