A look at City Hall players close to NYC Mayor Eric Adams who have been under investigation, indicted

The administration of New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been plagued by corruption indictments, including many targeting top City Hall aides, with the latest charges coming Thursday as hizzoner's former chief of staff and eight others were ensnared in a wide-ranging bribery scheme.

The misconduct allegations come as Adams, who himself faced federal corruption charges before they were abandoned by the Trump administration's Justice Department, faces a long shot bid for reelection.

Here is a who's who of City Hall players who have faced criminal indictments:

Adams: The mayor was charged in September in a sweeping federal indictment alleging he solicited illegal funds from Turkish nationals, dating back to 2016 when he was Brooklyn borough president, and received lavish gifts and travel in exchange for providing foreign officials with favorable government treatment. The five-count indictment charged Adams, a former NYPD captain, with wire fraud, bribery and soliciting campaign funds from foreign nationals. 

Adams denied wrongdoing.

In April, a federal judge dismissed the corruption charges at the request of the U.S. Justice Department, which argued the case would prevent Adams from assisting in the White House's mass deportation program.

In the aftermath, several top federal prosecutors resigned and Adams declined to run in the Democratic primary for reelection, opting to seek a second term as an independent.

Ingrid Lewis-Martin: On Thursday, the mayor's former chief of staff and close friend was charged in four separate conspiracy indictments, along with eight other co-defendants, including her son Glenn D. Martin. They both pleaded not guilty.

Lewis-Martin is accused of performing political favors in exchange for accepting more than $75,000 in bribes, a speaking role on a TV show, home renovations and thousands of dollars in catering for events at City Hall and Gracie Mansion. Glenn Martin was charged with steering city migrant shelter contracts to preferred property owners and helping fast-track permit approvals for a karaoke bar in Queens in exchange for $50,000 cash.

It is the second set of criminal charges for the mother-son duo. Last December, Lewis-Martin and her son were charged with accepting improper gifts worth more than $100,000 in exchange for speeding construction approvals for two real estate investors.

Former State Sen. Jesse Hamilton: The deputy commissioner for real estate at the Department of Citywide Administrative Services was charged Thursday with conspiring to fast-track development projects and steer city contracts in exchange for renovations to the homes of himself, Lewis-Martin and her son. He pleaded not guilty.

Gina and Tony Argento: The siblings, co-owners of Broadway Stages, a film and TV production company and key Adams donors, are accused of paying bribes to Lewis-Martin to ignore recommendations by the city’s Department of Transportation on the traffic redesign of McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. In exchange, prosecutors said Lewis-Martin received $2,500 in cash, $10,000 in catering services and a speaking role in the television drama "Godfather of Harlem." Tony Argento also promised to be Lewis-Martin's agent and get her a speaking role on "Blue Bloods," court documents show. Gina and Tony Argento have each pleaded not guilty.

Buildings Commissioner Eric Ulrich: The former New York City councilman was indicted in 2023 for accepting $150,000 in bribes, along with Mets season tickets, a custom suit and a painting by an apprentice of Salvador Dalí. In exchange, Ulrich, who has denied the charges, is accused of fast-tracking restaurant and building inspections, assisting with licensing problems and arranging for jobs and raises.

Mohamed Bahi: Adams' chief liaison to the Muslim community was charged with instructing witnesses to lie to FBI agents investigating the mayor. Last week, Bahi pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud connected to his involvement with illegal contributions to Adams' campaigns for mayor.

Erden Arkan: A Turkish construction magnate, Arkan was sentenced last week to 1 year of probation after pleading guilty to a charge of wire fraud for illegally reimbursing his employees for nearly $18,000 in donations to Adams’ 2021 mayoral campaign.

Others not charged

A host of top Adams aides are ensnared in corruption allegations but have yet to be charged. They include:

Winnie Greco, the mayor’s former director of Asian affairs and one of his chief fundraisers, resigned that position last year after the FBI raided her homes as part of an investigation into straw donations in Adams' 2021 campaign. Greco has denied the accusations. On Thursday, Greco was yet again the center of controversy after being accused of handing a journalist a potato chip bag stuffed with cash. 

Former Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned in September 2024 after news broke that FBI agents had seized his cellphones as part of a federal probe. Caban and his twin brother, James Caban, a former police officer who owned a nightclub security business, are also accused of providing favors to nightclubs in exchange for illegal payments, according to allegations from a Coney Island bar owner. They deny the accusations.

Former FBI agent Thomas Donlon, who succeeded Caban as NYPD commissioner, resigned months after taking office after federal agents seized materials from his home. Earlier this year, Donlon, who has said the raid was unrelated to his position, filed a federal suit accusing the Adams administration of operating a massive criminal operation within the NYPD.

Schools Chancellor David C. Banks; his brother, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III; First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright; and Adams senior adviser Timothy Pearson: Last year, FBI agents seized the phones of the four officials, allegedly as part of an influence peddling probe into a third Banks brother, Terence Banks. All four city officials have resigned and denied the accusations.