Frank Carone

Frank Carone, a former chief of staff to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and a Brooklyn political power broker, was arrested on June 24, 2026, on federal corruption charges. An indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of New York charges Carone with 13 counts, including bribery, money laundering, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors allege that while serving as chief of staff in 2022, Carone accepted $120,000 in bribes from hotel owner Yan Po Zhu and employee Crystal Chen to steer a $6.8 million emergency contract for a migrant shelter to their hotel, Microtel, despite city officials repeatedly rejecting it for being unsuitable. The indictment claims payments were funneled through a law firm account controlled by Carone’s brother, Anthony Carone—also an attorney charged in the scheme—to pay Frank Carone’s personal expenses. Carone is further accused of attempting to conceal the scheme by backdating a promissory note to characterize the payments as loans once he became aware of the federal investigation. Carone, his brother, and the two co-defendants have pleaded not guilty. Frank Carone was released on a $2 million bond secured by property in Boca Raton, Florida. His legal team, led by Arthur Aidala, denies the allegations, arguing the case is politically motivated and lacks factual evidence of government influence.