New York Police Department Commissioner Edward Caban resigned from his position on Thursday as the head of the world’s largest police department after his phone was seized by federal agents in a criminal investigation eight days ago.
“My complete focus has always been on the NYPD – the department and people I love and have dedicated over 30 years of service to,” Caban said in a statement. “However, the news around recent developments has created a distraction for our department, and I am unwilling to let my attention be on anything other than our important work, or the safety of the men and women of the NYPD.”
The investigation, at least in part, centers around a nightclub security business that is owned by Caban’s twin brother, James Caban, and whether he used his brother to “fix potential problems for clubs and bars,” The Washington Post reported. The probe is reportedly focusing on other police officials as well.
The criminal investigation is being conducted by the Southern District of New York, which focuses on government corruption cases, and the IRS.
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NYC Democratic Mayor Eric Adams, who is under criminal investigation over potential corruption stemming from actions involving the Turkish government, has seen numerous people in his orbit come under criminal investigation recently.
The FBI executed search warrants last week at the home of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks and a home shared by First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Schools Chancellor David Banks. Investigators seized phones belonging to Caban and Timothy Pearson, a senior adviser to the mayor. A consultant, Terence Banks, brother of Philip Banks and David Banks, was also searched.
The feds raided the home of Adams’ director of Asian Affairs, Winnie Greco, earlier this year as part of a criminal probe run by the Eastern District of New York, the Times said. His former buildings commissioner, Eric Ulrich, faces bribery charges, and several donors to Adams’ campaign have been charged in a straw-donor scheme.
Adams named former FBI agent and former New York Homeland Security Director Tom Donlon as interim commissioner.
“My goals are clear: continue the historic progress decreasing crime and removing illegal guns from our communities, uphold the highest standards of integrity and transparency, and support our dedicated officers who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe,” Donlon said in a statement.
