Frank Carone, who served as chief of staff to former New York City Mayor Eric Adams, was arrested Wednesday along with his brother and two other people in connection with a federal investigation into an alleged bribery scheme tied to a city contract, according to a person familiar with the case.
The arrests marked the latest legal trouble to touch Adams’ former inner circle, nearly two years after Carone left City Hall and later became a prominent figure in New York’s legal and lobbying world. Carone served as Adams’ chief of staff in 2022 before stepping down at the end of that year, and he has remained a politically connected power broker in Brooklyn and beyond.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Additional details were not immediately released, though indictments were expected to be unsealed later Wednesday in Manhattan federal court.
Carone’s attorney, Arthur Aidala, criticized the case, describing the indictment as “weak” and “based on purely circumstantial evidence that’s not worth the paper upon which it is printed.”
In a statement, Aidala added: “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.”
Eric Adams spokesperson Todd Shapiro issued a separate statement praising Carone, saying he “dedicated decades of his life to public service, the legal profession, and helping countless individuals, businesses, and charitable organizations throughout New York.”
Shapiro added: “This is an ongoing legal matter and my prayers are with his family.”
Carone, a longtime Brooklyn lawyer and political operative, was among Adams’ earliest and closest aides when the mayor took office in January 2022. After leaving City Hall, he founded a consulting and lobbying firm and remained active in Democratic politics, including in Adams’ reelection effort.
The federal probe comes as corruption investigations have continued to dog former and current city officials in recent years, particularly in cases involving contracts, influence-peddling and public-sector deals. Prosecutors have not publicly disclosed the specific contract at the center of the Carone case.