Ingrid Lewis Martin, the brash consigliere of embattled Mayor Eric Adams, was accused Thursday of arranging favors with two New York City hoteliers in exchange for bribes. That included a $100,000 loan for DJ's son to buy a Porsche.
A long-awaited indictment in Manhattan Supreme Court indicts Lewis Martin, his son Glenn Martin II, hotelier Mayank Dwivedi, and real estate investor Raizada Vaid on bribery charges.
“We believe that Ingrid Lewis Martin used her position and authority as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of New York City to illegally influence the Department of Buildings and other City governments, resulting in a long-standing campaign of bribery, money laundering, and… Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. said in a statement.
Lewis Martin, 63, is accused of expediting the seizure of licenses between the Glass Ceiling rooftop bar near Herald Square and a Lower East Side hotel in Rivington, court documents say. It is stated in.
Dwivedi and Vaid then gave two checks for $50,000 to her son, who goes by the name DJ Swarve Luciano, court documents state.
Prosecutors allege the DJ deposited the cash into an account he shared with his mother, a public servant, then transferred $50,000 to his business, Swerve Productions, and used it to pay for $113,000 to buy a Porsche. He reportedly issued a dollar check.
Prosecutors said Lewis Martin also allegedly tried to cover up the plot by using a third-party encrypted messaging app, Signal, and instructing the group to use encrypted language. Ru.
She surrendered to authorities early Thursday morning, arriving at Manhattan Criminal Court with her son wearing a leopard-print top and bold red lipstick.
They are scheduled to be arraigned Thursday afternoon after Bragg and City Bureau of Investigation Director Jocelyn Stauber hold a press conference.
Manhattan prosecutors and DOI investigators jointly conducted an investigation into Lewis Martin, a longtime close friend of Mr. Adams. Lewis Martin is the highest-profile city employee currently facing charges since the mayor himself was indicted on federal corruption charges in late September.
Officials say Lewis Martin expected criminal charges, leading to his abrupt resignation last weekend and a defiant and preemptive news conference Monday with his attorney, Arthur Aidala.
They slammed Mr. Bragg's office for allegedly carrying out political prosecutions.
“I came here because I was accused of something,” Lewis Martin said. “I don't know exactly what it is, but I do know that I was told it was illegal, and I have never done anything illegal in my capacity as a government official.”
The indictment adds to Adams' legal troubles, as multiple criminal investigations loom over his top aides and the mayor faces unprecedented federal bribery and corruption charges from Manhattan federal prosecutors.
By the time Lewis Martin returned from vacation to Japan in late September, he had avoided the embarrassing federal raids and subpoenas that befell many of his colleagues.
When Lewis Martin's plane landed at JFK Airport, state and federal authorities were waiting for her, DA investigators confiscated her cell phone, and federal authorities subpoenaed her to testify in the Adams corruption case. I presented the situation to her.
The New York Times first reported that the DA's investigation focused on commercial real estate rentals at City Hall. reported. Officials told the newspaper that the cellphones of four other people were also seized, including Jesse Hamilton, the city's top real estate official, and Diana Boutros, a private broker involved in city leases.
After the airport ambush, Lewis-Martin took the surprising, if characteristically belligerent, step of appearing on Aidala's radio show to protect himself.
“We are imperfect, but we are not thieves, and I believe that ultimately the people of New York City will understand that we have not done anything illegal on the scale or scale that the federal government and the Attorney General's Office are demanding.” “To investigate us.'' she said.
Lewis Martin served as Adams' top advisor at City Hall, and she once described herself as his closest ally. it was once said The New York Times–The Mayor's “God-Ordained Sister.”
But sources told The Post that their decades-long relationship has become strained in recent months, with the once-inseparable pair barely speaking to each other. That's what it means.
Lewis Martin abruptly resigned from City Hall on Sunday, about a month before he was scheduled to resign.
The bribery charges also put her son, DJ Swerve Luciano, in the spotlight.
beyond brunch gig and release Loot banging music video DJ Suave Luciano performed for 79 YouTube subscribers. rise up new york city concert And gigs in other cities.
At a June reception celebrating Caribbean American heritage, Luis Martin introduced his son with a joke about DJs working for free at city-run events.
“He volunteers all the time,” she said. “They try to put us in the paper, but he doesn't take any money. He's a volunteer. That's just what he says.”
The charges also shamed Dwivedi's image as a hotelier catering to the wealthy.
Dwivedi’s portfolio includes Maidstone Hotels and The Capri SouthamptonTwo luxury Hampton hotels.
He is managing Capri on behalf of celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos, whose daughter Tennie Geragos is Dwivedi's lawyer.
She told the Post on Wednesday night that Bragg “has an incomplete and inaccurate view of the facts.”
“We look forward to setting the record straight and proving Mr. Dwivedi's complete innocence,” she said.
—Additional reporting by Ronny Reyes
