Former Aide To Ex-Mayor Eric Adams Indicted On Federal Bribery Charges

NEW YORK CITY — A former aide to ex-Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on federal bribery charges, prosecutors said.

Tony Herbert, a former aide in the Mayor's Office, has been charged with bribery, honest services wire fraud, extortion under color of official right, federal program fraud and wire fraud, prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Herbert is accused of bribery in two separate pay-to-play schemes. In the first scheme, Herbert is alleged to have solicited and received $11,000 in cash from a security company executive and in exchange the company were given contracts to a number of public housing projects in the city.

In the second scheme, Herbert is accused of taking a $5,000 bribe from a funeral home director in exchange for approving financial assistance for burial services for low-income families, according to an indictment.

In an effort to cover his tracks, Hebert filed false financial disclosure forms that omitted his receipt of thousands of dollars from both schemes.

In addition, Herbert submitted a fraudulent loan application for a proposed baked good business in order to obtain a $20,000 loan under a Paycheck Protection Program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"New Yorkers deserve honest and competent public officials," U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said in a statement. "As alleged, at a time when Anthony Herbert was serving as City Hall’s liaison to the City’s public housing residents, he engaged in blatant pay-to-play schemes to enrich himself."

Herbert pled not guilty plea at his arraignment on Tuesday. He is due back in court on Jan. 30.

The charges against Herbert come after another aide, Mohamed Bahi was convicted in an illegal donations scheme and was sentenced to three years’ probation.

Ingrid Lewis-Martin, Adams’ chief advisor, has also been indicted on bribery charges and her case is still ongoing.