From the Washington Examiner: Federal authorities arrested a former high-ranking official in Eric Adams’s administration Tuesday, the latest in the corruption investigation that has continued to dog the scandal-ridden New York City mayor’s circle even after his departure from City Hall.
Anthony Herbert, who served as a liaison to the city’s public housing residents and worked within the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, faces charges for bribery and extortion, wire fraud, and federal program fraud. Herbert was arraigned in federal court Tuesday afternoon.
A release from the Southern District of New York said Herbert is accused of accepting $11,000 in cash to steer lucrative security contracts toward a specific firm for the New York City Housing Authority.
The report notes that Herbert is accused of funneling burial assistance funds intended for low-income families to a funeral home in exchange for a $5,000 kickback. He is also accused of filing a fraudulent application for a $20,418 Covid-era PPP loan for a “baked goods business.”
More from a press release by the Justice Department:
From in or about February 2022 through in or about September 2025, HERBERT worked for the Office of the New York City Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit (“Community Affairs”) within City Hall. In that capacity, HERBERT first functioned as the Brooklyn Borough Director for Community Affairs from in or about February 2022 through in or about February 2023, and then as the Citywide Public Housing Liaison until in or about September 2025. In the latter role, HERBERT was responsible for engaging with residents and leadership of the New York City Housing Authority (“NYCHA”) on behalf of City Hall.
HERBERT abused his position repeatedly and flagrantly by soliciting and receiving bribes and kickbacks in exchange for HERBERT’s agreement to advise and pressure other City officials to take actions benefiting those who paid HERBERT bribes and kickbacks, in two distinct schemes.
In the first scheme, HERBERT solicited and received from a particular individual (the “Security Company Executive”) thousands of dollars in cash payments in exchange for HERBERT advising and pressuring other City officials to award the Security Company Executive’s security guard company with City contracts, including for providing services at NYCHA developments.
In the second scheme, HERBERT advised, pressured, and fraudulently induced other City officials to approve payments to a director of a particular funeral home (the “Funeral Home Director”) under a financial assistance program for burial services for low-income families, in exchange for thousands of dollars in kickbacks from the proceeds of those reimbursement payments from the Funeral Home Director.
Finally, in or about April 2021, HERBERT submitted a fraudulent loan application—on behalf of a fictitious baked goods company he claimed to operate—to induce a bank to issue HERBERT a $20,418 loan pursuant to the federal Paycheck Protection Program that was established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
HERBERT, 61, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with two counts of bribery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of honest services wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of federal program fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
READ MORE from the Washington Examiner.
“New Yorkers deserve honest and competent government officials,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “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.”
— US Attorney SDNY (@SDNYnews) January 13, 2026
NEWS: Former Eric Adams aide and community advocate Tony Herbert has been arrested and charged in an SDNY indictment with taking bribes and kickbacks, along with several fraud offenses. He’s set to appear in court later today. pic.twitter.com/DiO5RwNRRO
— Molly Crane-Newman (@molcranenewman) January 13, 2026
Former Adams aide Tony Herbert arrested on sweeping federal bribery charges https://t.co/khbGuPbcEg
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) January 13, 2026
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