Former NYC Staffer Charged in Extortion Scheme
A former senior staff member for the mayor of New York City, who was dismissed after calling the assassination of Charlie Kirk “karma” for a “racist,” now faces charges for running multiple schemes that extorted around $36,000. This was announced by federal authorities on Tuesday.
Tony Herbert, who previously served in the administration of Eric Adams, was arrested early Tuesday morning in Manhattan, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The 61-year-old resident of Brooklyn is accused of engaging in two bribery schemes that led to him pocketing $16,000 while employed by the mayor’s office. Before his time with the city, Herbert allegedly filed fake Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications and received about $20,000.
Officials have stated that Herbert “repeatedly and blatantly” misused his role as a city employee from 2022 to 2025, demanding significant cash payments in two separate pay-to-play situations.
The charges allege that Herbert accepted cash in exchange for helping security firms secure profitable contracts with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). In return for these bribes, Herbert supposedly promised to influence and advise other city officials regarding contract approvals, specifically for security services at various NYCHA facilities.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton commented, “As alleged, while serving as City Hall’s liaison to the city’s public housing residents, Anthony Herbert engaged in an overt pay-to-play scheme to line his own pockets.”
In another part of the scheme, Herbert is said to have pressured city officials to authorize payments to funeral directors under a financial assistance program for low-income families, allegedly receiving “thousands of dollars in kickbacks” from these directors.
IRS-CI Special Agent Harry T. Chavis Jr. mentioned, “Anthony Herbert is suspected of using his position in the New York City Mayor’s office to engage in bribery and fraud, enriching himself at the expense of fairness for specific companies.”
Authorities also pointed out that Herbert submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application in 2021, securing $20,418 for a non-existent baked goods company before he took office.
He faces a total of six federal charges, which include two counts of bribery, one count of honest services wire fraud, federal program fraud, extortion, and wire fraud. If convicted, he could receive sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years for the individual charges.
It’s worth noting that Herbert was terminated from his position at City Hall last year after his inflammatory remarks about Charlie Kirk. In a Facebook post, he stated, “You’re spot on or should I say racist!!” He then later posted a video defending his comments, expressing no regrets and adding, “Unfortunately karma has built up.” Both the post and the video were deleted shortly after they were made.
