Feds raid home of NYPD Commish Edward Caban, other close Adams allies
Federal agents hit NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and members of the nation’s biggest police force this week — amid a stunning spate of raids on others in Mayor Eric Adams’ inner circle, sources said Thursday.
Agents showed up to the homes of Caban, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks and the townhouse shared by Schools Chancellor David Banks and First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright with search warrants early Wednesday and seized their electronic devices, according to law-enforcement sources.
Phil and David Banks’ brother, Terence Banks, a former MTA official who has turned to consulting work, was also targeted in the actions, sources said.
5
The FBI raided the home of NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, law enforcement sources confirmed. Paul Martinka
Another top Adams aide – retired NYPD inspector Timothy Pearson – had his phones subpoenaed, according to the sources.
It wasn’t clear if the raid on the Harlem home shared by Wright and David Banks targeted one or both of them.
The connections between the raids, subpoenas and other law enforcement sweeps targeting Caban, other NYPD officials and City Hall bigwigs remained murky Thursday.
5
Another top Adams aide – Timothy Pearson – had his phones subpoenaed, according to the sources. Stephen Yang
5
NY Post composite
But sources said the top cop and others in the department were targeted as part of a sweeping corruption probe involving influence peddling.
Caban’s twin brother, James Caban, a former NYPD sergeant, was served a search warrant with a subpoena, sources said. Investigators are looking into his role in the world of nightlife enforcement, according to sources.
Sources confirmed that NYPD Chief of Staff Raul Pintos and two precinct commanders in Manhattan and Queens were asked to turn over their phones.
Get all the stories that move New York to your inbox
The feds also are looking into rank-and-file NYPD officers, from precinct commanders on down, who serve in Midtown South and other precincts with a strong nightlife presence, sources said.
None has been accused of any crime.
The probes are being led by federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, which has also been eyeing Adams’ 2021 campaign in another unrelated high-profile investigation, sources said.
Adams broke his daylong silence on the raids Thursday afternoon as he exited City Hall to a throng of reporters.
“As you’ve heard me say over and over again, as a former law enforcement person we will always follow the law and that is what this administration always stood for and will continue to stand for,” he said.
“Whatever information is needed, we will turn over.”
City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg, in a statement issued shortly after the raids were publicly revealed, implied city officials weren’t the probe’s ultimate targets.
Follow the latest on the FBI raids of Adams administration officials: FBI raids NYC homes of two top Mayor Adams aides, Sheena Wright and Phil Banks Feds raid home of NYPD Commish Edward Caban, other close Adams allies Home of top NYC Mayor Eric Adams aide Winnie Greco raided by FBI: sources Additional FBI raids revealed in Eric Adams campaign fundraising probe Adams’ chief fundraiser raided by FBI over alleged kickback scheme involving Turkish government
“Investigators have not indicated to us the mayor or his staff are targets of any investigation,” said City Hall Chief Counsel Lisa Zornberg, in a statement.
“As a former member of law enforcement, the mayor has repeatedly made clear that all members of the team need to follow the law.”
5
The raid on Caban unfolded as agents stormed the homes of deputy mayors Phil Banks and Sheena Wright, according to law-enforcement sources. Robert Miller
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed an investigation focused on police officials.
“The Department is aware of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York involving members of service. The Department is fully cooperating in the investigation,” the spokesperson said in a statement Thursday, referring questions to Manhattan federal prosecutors.
Caban could not be reached for comment. He was appointed to the commissioner role in July 2023 after previous top cop Keechant Sewell’s surprise resignation.
As commissioner, Caban works closely with the Manhattan US Attorney’s Office that now appears to be investigating him, many of his officers and a smorgasbord of his high-ranking city government counterparts.
Representatives for the US Attorney’s office declined to comment.
When The Post tried to reach Chief of Patrol John Chell for comment about the raids and subpoenas, NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Public Information Tarik Sheppard got on the phone and called the reporter a “f—ing scumbag.”
5
Mayor Adams had several more aids targeted in raids by the FBI. Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
Sources said Terence Banks is being eyed over suspicions that since his retirement, he has acted as an unregistered lobbyist, who has brought businesses to City Hall through connections to his brother in a way that circumvents conflict of interest rules, source said.
Pearson, an Adams confidante who recently made headlines for being the subject of a sexual harassment suit, has long faced scrutiny for his shady role within the administration, which includes overseeing contracts for security at migrant shelters.
The raids targeting the deputy mayors — first reported by The City — unfolded simultaneously about 5 a.m. Wednesday at Wright’s elegant West 143rd Street home in Harlem and Phil Banks’ modest Queens house, according to the sources.
An FBI spokesperson declined to comment Thursday, but did not deny that federal agents visited both addresses.
An attorney for Banks, Benjamin Brafman, confirmed that Banks’ home was searched but would not comment further. Phil Banks was named by the feds as an unindicted co-conspirator in a sweeping federal police corruption case years ago.
Feds found Phil Banks’ accounts had $300,000 in mystery transactions amid the bribery case.
Wright, a former CEO of United Way of NYC who helped lead Adams’ transition team, has been a regular presence by the mayor’s side since he appointed her to the top deputy mayor role in 2022.
Her portfolio of responsibilities includes the police department.
She has been in a longtime relationship with David Banks, and they were rumored to have married in secret last year.
David Banks, when spotted Thursday leaving the Harlem home he shares with Wright, dodged questions from The Post about the raid.
He appeared irritated when a FOX 5 reporter asked him questions later in the day about the FBI raid.
“Today is the first day of school, it is all about the kids, if there’s any other comments to be made it will be tomorrow,” he said.
Adams — who is up for re-election next year — has now seen federal agents target at least eight of his top aides, starting with his campaign fundraiser Brianna Suggs.
Suggs’ home was raided in November 2023 amid allegations of a kickback scheme involving City Hall and the Turkish government.
After that, raids targeted City Hall aide Rana Abbasova and Cenk Ocal, who worked on Adams’ transition team, as part of the Turkey probe.
FBI agents stormed the home of Winnie Greco, who served as Adams’ director of Asian affairs, during February as part of a separate fundraising investigation.
Hizzoner himself has previously been slapped with a grand jury subpoena, as were City Hall officials and his campaign, in July by federal prosecutors digging into his 2021 election fundraising. He also had his electronic devices seized as part of the investigation.
Adams has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
— Additional reporting by Ben Kochman and Haley Brown
