Dec. 19 (UPI) — A former chief adviser to New York Mayor Eric Adams has been indicted on bribery and money-laundering charges. Her son also was indicted.
Ingrid Lewis-Martin and her son Glenn Martin II were indicted Thursday on bribery and money laundering charges.
Real estate developers Raizada Vaid and Mayank Dwivedi also were indicted in an alleged bribery conspiracy involving more than $100,000.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said in a statement, “We allege that Ingrid Lewis-Martin engaged in a long-running bribery, money laundering, and conspiracy scheme by using her position and authority as the Chief Adviser to the Mayor of the City of New York to illegally influence Department of Buildings and other city decisions in exchange for more than $100,000 in cash and benefits for herself and her son, Glenn Martin II.”
Lewis-Martin was expected to appear in court Thursday in Manhattan to hear the indictments.
All the defendants were charged with Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree. Vaid and Dwivedi are charged with Bribery in the First Degree.
Lewis-Martin and Martin III are charged with Bribe Receiving in the First Degree and Money Laundering in the Third Degree.
New York Department of Investigation Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber said in a statement, “As alleged in the indictment announced today, the Mayor’s Chief Adviser accepted cash and other benefits for herself and her son, in exchange for using her authority and influence to expedite her co-conspirators’ construction projects.”
According to court documents and statements made on the court record, Lewis-Martin and her son traded on the access and influence of her position to get more than $100,000 in checks and cash from the real estate developers.
Bragg alleged that Lewis-Martin “made attempts to cover up the alleged conspiracy by asking the participants to join Signal, a third-party encrypted messaging app, noting “Please only use Signal for asks.”
The prosecutor alleged that bribes were laundered through Martin III’s accounts.
According to prosecutors in August 2023, Martin II got two payments of $50,000. One came from Dwivedi’s company and the other was a personal check from Vaid.
Prosecutors said $100,000 was deposited into joint bank accounts held with Lewis-Martin. Martin III then transferred $50,000 into his DJ business, according to the indictment.
He used the money to buy a Porsche, officials said.
Lewis-Martin resigned as City Hall’s chief adviser Sunday.
Adams was indicted by a federal grand jury in September, charged with bribery and conspiracy fraud, as the FBI searched his official Gracie Mansion home and seized a phone from him.
Adams was charged with five counts including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, federal program bribery and to receive campaign contributions by foreign nationals; wire fraud; bribery and two counts of solicitation of a contribution by a foreign national.
Adams has denied the alleged crimes and vowed to fight the charges with “every ounce of my strength and spirit.”
Several people have left the Adams administration since September.
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban quit Sept. 12 amid a federal investigation into police nightclub enforcement. The mayor’s chief counsel Lisa Zornberg resigned Sept. 14 as Adams face increasing legal issues.
New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks accelerated his planned retirement to mid-October and Adams’ top deputy mayor Sheena Wright resigned Oct. 8.