A Brooklyn bar owner is reporting that the twin brother of fired Police Commissioner Edward Cabán tried to “blackmail” him when he asked for help fleeing the NYPD last summer.
Shamel Kelly He told NBC New York He was introduced to James Caban, the brother of a top police officer, by a city hall official who was fired Wednesday for his alleged involvement in the arrangement.
Kelly allegedly said James Cavan told him he would resolve the matter with police if he paid him $2,500.
“He said he would mediate my problem,” Kelly told the local station about the conversation. “He said he would bring the NYPD to me so that we could resolve our issues.”
But the struggling owner refused, claiming that the constant police presence at his Coney Island bar was only making things worse, which ultimately led him to close his establishment.
“After he told me I had to pay him, I felt like he was trying to extort me so I said, 'No, it's OK,' I'm just going to deal with it my way and it just got worse,” Kelly said.
Kelly's business, Juice and Moore Bar, operates as a juice bar by day and a bar and lounge by night, and although it had all the necessary permits and liquor licenses, by the summer of 2023 it had received a series of noise complaints.
He was introduced to Ray Martin, an official with the Mayor's Entertainment and Nightlife Department, who he hoped would help him resolve the problem of near-constant police presence at his bar, which was negatively impacting his business.
Instead, Martin allegedly acted as a fixer for James Cavan.
“He continued to say he thought I should close the bar and that if I didn't close the bar the only way he could stop the police from taking action was to talk to one of his friends, a guy called James Cavan,” Kelly said. He told NBC.
Former NYPD officer James Cavan is the twin brother of Edward Cavan, who stepped down as NYPD commissioner on Thursday.
The twins are the subject of a wide-ranging federal corruption investigation that also encompasses key aides to Mayor Eric Adams and top NYPD officials, but neither has been accused of wrongdoing.
Kelly spoke with James Cavan by phone and text message in August 2023, according to phone records reviewed by the news station.
During the call, James Cavan allegedly demanded Kelly pay him $2,500, according to the station.
The bar owner said he was shocked.
“I think it's going to be, 'Oh, OK, let me figure out what the problem is.' I don't expect them to say, 'Oh, I have to pay you. No, that's not my responsibility,'” Kelly told NBC.
“It felt like we were given an ultimatum: either accept this or we'll be shut down,” he added.
Kelly eventually closed the bar in February.
He said he was upset and disappointed by what happened and believes he is not the only business owner in the city who has dealt with this incident.
“I don't think I'm the only one,” Kelly said. “I think, to be honest, this is probably something that's happening specifically in New York.”
City Hall fired Martin shortly after learning of the allegations against him from NBC New York.
“We thank WNBC for bringing this information to our attention yesterday afternoon. Upon receiving this inquiry, we immediately launched an internal investigation and found that Mr. Martin had violated the terms of his employment,” Deputy Mayor of Communications Fabian Levy said in a statement Thursday.
“Mr. Martin was fired yesterday for cause. We expect all city employees to act ethically and in the public interest. As WNBC has just reported that both the Department of Justice and the Department of Investment are investigating this matter, we cannot comment further out of respect for the nature of the investigation.”
James Cavan's lawyers argued he was innocent.
“Mr. Cavan unequivocally denies any wrongdoing and his work as a consultant and liaison between the police department and private companies is entirely legitimate, particularly given his history as an NYPD officer,” his lawyers, Shawn Hecker and David Patton, said in a statement.
“Our client is cooperating fully with law enforcement, and once the investigation is complete, it will be clear that these allegations are unfounded and without merit.”
Meanwhile, Kelly is being questioned by federal and DOI investigators as part of an ongoing corruption investigation.
