Latest news with #Bahi
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Indicted ex-Adams aide Mohamed Bahi plea agreement in limbo after mayor's case dismissal
Even though he agreed to plead guilty in February, Mohamed Bahi, an ex-City Hall aide charged with funneling illegal straw donations to Mayor Adams' campaign, has for months held off on formally owning up to any crimes as his lawyer remains in talks with federal prosecutors 'regarding the resolution' of his case, court filings show. The fact that discussions are continuing points to the possibility new information may have surfaced complicating the terms of Bahi's plea deal, ex-federal prosecutors told the Daily News. The holdup is coming to light after President Trump's Justice Department last week secured a dismissal of Adams' corruption indictment, which accused the mayor of participating in the same straw donor scheme Bahi was charged with helping orchestrate. Bahi's lawyer, Derek Adams, declined to comment Thursday on whether the snag in his client's case is connected to the quashing of Adams' indictment, a dismissal that has led many to believe the mayor is beholden to Trump's political agenda. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York, which indicted both Bahi and Adams, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. It's common for federal prosecutors to offer leniency for defendants in corruption investigations who agree to testify against others charged in the same probe. It's unclear if Bahi made any agreement to testify against Adams at his trial. But Duncan Levin, a white collar criminal defense attorney who used to be a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, noted any such agreement would now be moot, given the dismissal of Adams' indictment. Levine also said the delay in Bahi's case likely stems from his lawyer questioning the idea that the Southern District would end Adams' indictment but not his client's. 'That's what I would say: You're going to corruptly dismiss the charge against the mayor but not against my client? There's something very unfair about this whole situation,' Levin said. 'It's totally unthoughtful for DOJ to dismiss charges against Adams and not consider the co-defendants, because it results in a perverse outcome where justice is flipped on its head and lower-level defendants can face jail time while the supposed ring leader goes free.' Prosecutors first revealed Feb. 7 that Bahi would plead guilty to a conspiracy count in connection with his role in pumping illegal straw donations into Adams' 2021 campaign coffers on behalf of a politically-connected Brooklyn developer, who in turn allegedly got help from the mayor with a building permit issue. The prosecutors wrote at the time Bahi, who used to be Adams' Muslim community liaison at City Hall, had entered into a written plea agreement. Mayor Adams to travel to the Dominican Republic to mourn nightclub roof collapse City Council moves to add 1,000 new public bathrooms, so NYC is 'free to pee' NYC Council gives itself power to sue Mayor Adams over ICE on Rikers, citing Trump concerns NYC comptroller hopeful Justin Brannan nets key union support amid Hudson Yards casino debate Mayor Adams' 'Safe Streets, Affordable City' ballot tagline points to election strategy A few days later, on Feb. 13, Trump Justice Department appointees first moved to drop Adams' indictment, which accused him of taking bribes and illegal campaign cash, mostly from Turkish government officials, in exchange for political favors. Adams has said he did nothing wrong and denies a quid pro quo with Trump's administration. Since Feb. 13, Bahi's attorney and Southern District prosecutors have entered into three separate agreements to waive the Speedy Trial Act — which requires a case to move to a preliminary hearing within 21 days — so they can continue 'discussions' about his plea, filings show. This Monday, they submitted the latest extension, freezing Bahi's case through May 9 in hopes they can 'reach a resolution of this matter,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Sobelman wrote in the new filing. 'As noted in certain of the Government's prior requests, the defendant previously entered into a written plea agreement with the Government. However, defense counsel Derek Adams, Esq., and the Government are continuing to have discussions regarding the resolution of this case,' Sobelman wrote. The only other person charged as part of the years-long probe that produced Adams' indictment was Erden Arkan, a real estate developer who pleaded guilty in January to steering illegal straw donations to Adams on behalf of Turkey's government. Unlike Bahi, Arkan's plea was formalized in that a judge accepted it at a hearing. The judge has scheduled Arkan's sentencing for August, months after the April 21 trial Adams was supposed to face in Manhattan Federal Court.
CBS News
08-02-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Former City Hall aide charged in case against NYC Mayor Eric Adams plans to plead guilty
NEW YORK — Mohamed Bahi, an ex-employee of Mayor Eric Adams' administration, plans to plead guilty to charges as part of the federal corruption case against the mayor. Bahi served as City Hall's chief liaison to the Muslim community. He resigned in October, the same day that Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III and Director of Asian Affairs Winnie Greco submitted their resignations. He was indicted by federal investigators a few days later. According to court papers, Bahi has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy for his role in the collection of illegal straw donor contributions to the mayor's 2021 campaign. Bahi was named as "Adams Employee 1" in the indictment against the mayor. He was also accused of trying to delete messaging apps from his cellphone when officers came to his house to execute a search warrant. Sources tell CBS News New York lawyers for the Justice Department have met with Adams' defense team and Manhattan federal prosecutors to discuss dropping the corruption case against the mayor. Adams has pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, conspiracy and campaign finance violations. His trial is currently scheduled for April.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-City Hall aide Mohamed Bahi to plead guilty to funneling illegal donations to NYC Mayor Eric Adams campaign
NEW YORK — Former City Hall aide Mohamed Bahi plans to plead guilty to funneling illegal donations to Mayor Eric Adams' 2021 campaign, according to a new court filing. The Friday filing says Bahi, who resigned as Adams' Muslim community liaison the day before he was criminally indicted in October, intends to plead guilty to a single charge of conspiracy related to his alleged role in soliciting illicit straw donations to Adams' campaign bankrolled by a Brooklyn construction company owner with city government business interests. Prosecutors from the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's Office just Thursday submitted a notice of intent in court saying they planned to hit Bahi with the conspiracy charge. The conspiracy count is separate from Bahi's October indictment, which charged him with witness tampering and destruction of records in connection with his alleged attempts to obstruct the investigation into Adams' Turkish government connection ties. It was not immediately clear what will happen with Bahi's obstruction charges in light of his planned conspiracy plea. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office did not immediately comment, and Bahi's lawyer did not immediately return calls. It is not unusual for defendants in federal criminal cases to plead to a lesser charge and receive leniency at sentencing in exchange for a commitment to cooperate with investigators. Adams is under indictment on charges alleging he took bribes and illegal campaign contributions, mostly from Turkish government operatives, in exchange for political favors. He has pleaded not guilty and is expected to stand trial in April. Federal prosecutors say their investigation into Adams is continuing and recently wrote in court papers they have uncovered 'additional criminal conduct' he allegedly engaged in. ---------
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Prosecutors say ex-aide to NYC Mayor Eric Adams will plead guilty to conspiracy charge
NEW YORK (AP) — A former aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams plans to plead guilty to a conspiracy charge in a corruption case against Adams, prosecutors said in a new court filing Friday. Mohamed Bahi, who served as City Hall's chief liaison to the Muslim community, was arrested in October as part of a sweeping investigation into Adams and his campaign fundraising that led to the mayor's indictment on corruption charges in September. Adams has pleaded not guilty to charges that he accepted bribes of free and discounted overseas vacations and illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals, including a Turkish diplomat. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Prosecutors on Friday told a federal judge that Bahi plans to plead guilty to a conspiracy count alleging that he conspired to commit wire fraud by collecting campaign contributions made under the name of someone other than the true contributor. A message seeking comment was sent to Bahi's attorney. In the indictment against Adams, Bahi is referenced as 'Adams Employee—1,' prosecutors noted. It was not immediately revealed when a plea hearing might be scheduled. The development comes after Adams has cozied up to President Donald Trump, who has criticized the case against Adams and said he is open to giving the Democrat, who was a registered Republican in the 1990s, a pardon. The revelation about Bahi comes less than a month after a Brooklyn real estate magnate, Erden Arkan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy, admitting that he worked with a Turkish government official to funnel illegal campaign contributions to Adams. 'When I wrote the checks, I knew the Eric Adams campaign would use the checks to apply for public matching funds,' Arkan said during his plea. The indictment against Adams accuses the mayor of using illegal contributions to fraudulently obtain public money under the city's matching funds program, which provides a generous match for small-dollar donations. The mayor has vowed to remain in office as he fights the charge 'with every ounce of my strength and my spirit.' A trial for Adams is set for April 21 while Arkan is scheduled to be sentenced in August.
New York Times
07-02-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Former Adams Aide to Plead Guilty to Conspiracy in Straw Donations Case
A former City Hall aide charged last year with witness tampering tied to the federal corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams of New York has agreed to plead guilty and prosecutors on Friday identified him in court papers as a co-conspirator in the case against the mayor. It was not clear from the court papers whether the aide, Mohamed Bahi, who had served as the mayor's liaison to the Muslim community, was cooperating with the prosecutors against the mayor. But in a letter to the judge presiding over the mayor's bribery and fraud case, the prosecutors asked the court to join the cases of Mr. Bahi and another man to the case against the mayor. The other man, a Turkish American businessman who had been charged separately, pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to commit fraud related to straw donations to the mayor's 2021 campaign. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York, which is prosecuting the case against Mayor Adams, declined to comment. Mr. Bahi's lawyer, Derek Adams, could not be immediately reached for comment. A lawyer for the mayor, Alex Spiro, also could not immediately be reached for comment. The disclosure of Mr. Bahi's guilty plea would seem to further cloud the situation surrounding the prosecution of Mr. Adams himself. The New York Times has reported that Mr. Adams's legal team met with U.S. Justice Department officials and federal prosecutors from Manhattan about the possibility of dropping the case against him. That meeting followed statements by President Trump suggesting that the mayor had been charged for political reasons under the Biden administration. Mr. Adams has said he was indicted because he criticized the former administration's response to the migrant crisis. Manhattan federal prosecutors have said in court filings that such claims are unfounded. It would be unusual, if Mr. Adams's case were dropped, for prosecutors to move forward with cases against other defendants, such as Mr. Bahi, who were charged with participating in the same criminal activities as the mayor — especially when, as with Mr. Bahi, prosecutors had said the scheme was primarily intended to benefit Mr. Adams. The case against Mr. Bahi, who was charged less than two weeks after Mr. Adams was indicted, appeared at the time to strengthen the case against the mayor. In the complaint against Mr. Bahi, prosecutors revealed that an Uzbek businessman who they said had made straw donations to Mr. Adams was cooperating with their investigation. And the case also raised the possibility that Mr. Bahi could testify against Mr. Adams himself. Mr. Bahi was accused of acting as a liaison between Mr. Adams and the businessman, Tolib Mansurov, who prosecutors said later sought and received help from the mayor in resolving problems that his construction company was having with the city's Buildings Department. Prosecutors said that Mr. Bahi coached Mr. Mansurov and his employees to lie to federal investigators about the contributions, and that he photographed grand jury subpoenas the employees had been given. The F.B.I. executed search warrants at the homes of Mr. Mansurov and Mr. Bahi last year, prosecutors have said in court filings. The prosecutors, in their letter to the judge, Dale E. Ho, said that Mr. Bahi would plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy, as did the Turkish American businessman, Erden Arkan. The object of the conspiracies charged against both men was 'committing wire fraud through the collection of campaign contributions made under the name of someone other than the true contributor,' the prosecutors wrote, and the subsequent request for public matching funds 'based on the misrepresentation that those contributions originated from the named contributor.'
