Security firm linked to Adams honcho Phil Banks under investigation by feds, DOI: sources

Federal and NYC investigators are scrutinizing a security firm previously owned by Mayor Eric Adams’ top public safety officer amid a jaw-dropping escalation of probes swirling around City Hall, sources told The Post Saturday.

Both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the city’s Department of Investigation are probing City Safe Partners, which was once owned by Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks.

The company scored a whopping $154 million contract in January to provide “emergency fire watch services” for the New York City Housing Authority, The New York Times reported.

Sheena Wright, Adams’ first deputy mayor and the fiancée of Banks’ brother David, the schools chancellor, sits on NYCHA’s board and voted to approve the emergency contract.

The City Safe deal is just one of numerous government contracts under review as part of an ongoing probe into the Adams administration that involves at least four separate federal inquiries, law enforcement sources told The Post.

Wright’s role in greenlighting the NYCHA deal is being reviewing for alleged improprieties, they added.

FBI agents on Sept. 4 raided the homes of Phil Banks and Wright.

The feds are eyeing whether Phil Banks steered city contracts toward companies represented by a consulting firm run by his another Banks sibling, Terence, which records show had inked millions of dollars’ worth of public deals, sources have said.

The three Banks brothers’ phones were seized by federal agents investigating the possible bribery scheme.

Before Phil Banks was appointed deputy mayor by Adams two years ago, he had a long career at the NYPD before abruptly after retiring in 2014 as chief of department amid a sprawling federal corruption probe into police corruption.

Prosecutors identified Philip as an unindicted co-conspirator, but he was never charged with wrongdoing.

In 2015, Banks bought interest in City Safe Partners and was listed as a member of its management team as recently as 2018.  

Winnie Greco, a major fund-raiser for Adams who went on to become his special adviser and director of Asian affairs, was also once part of the company’s management team.

In 2023, NYCHA sought a new security company to provide fire safety services, and when it sought out new firms, the agency prioritized those classified as minority and women-owned businesses, an agency spokeswoman told The Times.

City Safe was one of four companies that submitted proposals.

It scored the contract to place up to 500 guards in more than 150 public housing developments and monitor them for fires.

So far, the company has pocketed $13.3 million of the three-year contract.

City Safe did little business with the city until after Banks joined Adams’ administration.

The security firm from 2017 through April was under contract with the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority to provide unarmed security guards at subway stations, in part during the past two years to crackdown on fare-beating.

The company was paid $7.2 million for that deal, a City Safe rep told The Times.

It also reportedly earned $4,773 in 2014 providing security for a Parks Department event.

Banks sold his share of City Safe in July 2018, according to the company.

His lawyer Benjamin Brafman told The Times his client has long had nothing to do with City Safe, which was originally formed as Overwatch Services LLC.

“Banks was with Overwatch for less than two years and was long gone before the contracts you reference were ever awarded,” Brafman said.

During an unrelated event in Manhattan on Saturday, Adams, a retired NYPD captain, continued to insist his administration follows the law.

“Whatever our people do, we follow procedures,” Adams said.

“We follow rules… That’s what we do.”

The DOI declined to comment, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan did not return messages.

A lawyer for Sheena Wright, Xavier R. Donaldson, declined to comment.

City Safe is currently run by Soyini Chan-Shue, a former NYPD sergeant who long worked under Banks.

Additional reporting by Khristina Narizhnaya.