Final November, a prime Manhattan police commander with an formidable plan to provide away 2,000 turkeys to New Yorkers for Thanksgiving however in need of money turned to an ally of Mayor Adams to push native companies into contributing, a brand new lawsuit alleges.
The marketing campaign by Asst. Chief Ruel Stephenson and Susana Osorio, the Adams backer and uptown meals maven identified for Mama Sushi, focused restaurant and bar homeowners in Washington Heights and Inwood. They raised near $30,000 in simply 4 days, data present.
However the effort could have bumped up towards metropolis battle of curiosity guidelines, in accordance with a superb authorities group, and is detailed in a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit filed Tuesday by Lt. Jamie Nardini, who works for Stephenson in Patrol Borough Manhattan North.
Nardini additionally alleges Stephenson made his cops spend months planning vacation occasions, together with a July 2024 “White Party” that was attended by the mayor, on the expense of day-to-day police operations.
“Rather than confronting Stephenson’s repeated misconduct, the NYPD shielded him and fueled a party culture that undermined real police work,” Nardini’s lawyer John Scola mentioned.
Lt. Jamie Nardini, pictured, works for Stephenson in Patrol Borough Manhattan North. (Courtesy of Jamie Nardini)
Nardini claims Stephenson pressured his precinct commanders to promote tickets to the events — giving them quotas and threatening to interrogate them for hours on their crime statistics if they didn’t promote sufficient. He additionally deputized a well-liked detective on his employees as his “party planner” after which backed her promotion to the coveted rank of detective first grade for performing that function, Nardini claims.
“He would go around the room — how many have you sold? Who’s going to end up at Borough Stat for two hours,” Nardini mentioned. “I would get calls from commanders complaining about this constant pressure to sell tickets.”
Nardini alleges when she objected to being pressured to assist arrange the events, Stephenson repeatedly handed her over for promotion.
“The message has been you don’t want to be part of my party planning team, fine, but you’re going to feel it,” Nardini mentioned. “It all takes a toll.”
The occasions surrounding the turkey giveaway are recounted within the lawsuit and in interviews with Nardini and two different police supervisors who requested anonymity.
In November, Stephenson initially proposed to provide away 500 turkeys then elevated the quantity to 2,000. However the borough’s fundraising account had been depleted. So, the lawsuit alleges, Stephenson turned for assist to Osorio, the proprietor of a number of higher Manhattan eating places who has been a vocal Adams supporter and donor for years.
Stephenson and Osorio got here up with a listing of companies to contact and have been overheard urgent them to contribute to the turkey drive, the lawsuit alleges. Between Nov. 18 and Nov. 22, 16 checks, together with 14 from foods and drinks institutions totaling $21,150, flowed into the giveaway coffers, data present. No less than 4 of the contributors along with Osorio are donors to Adams’ mayoral campaigns.
“There are a lot of people calling 311 to complain about noise, people hanging out outside these places, but he’s collecting donations from the same businesses,” Nardini mentioned.
Flyer for a November 25, 2024 Thanksgiving Giveaway. (Obtained by Each day Information)
The go well with additionally alleges the ticket income handed by way of a personal checking account arrange by two cops at Stephenson’s course that was not vetted and authorized by the NYPD’s Inner Affairs Bureau as required.
Metropolis battle of curiosity guidelines state a public servant could not solicit a donation from “an individual or firm that has a particular matter pending before the public servant.” The bars and eating places could possibly be weak to police enforcement from cops overseen by Stephenson.
“If the business owners are within the command, they very well could have matters before the NYPD overseen by that officer, in which case, this would not be permissible,” mentioned Rachel Fauss of Reinvent Albany, a superb authorities group.
Among the many attendees on the July 2024 “White Party” was James Caban, the brother of ex-Police Commissioner Edward Caban who was embroiled two months later in an investigation over whether or not he was utilizing his household ties to acquire favorable therapy for nightspots. James Caban and the mayor, who a spokesperson mentioned arrived on the occasion individually, greeted one another cordially, in accordance with a photograph of the 2 of them.
Mayor Eric Adams, left, at a July 2024 “White Party” with James Caban, the brother of ex-Police Commissioner Edward Caban. (Obtained by Each day Information)
The “party planning” detective, Parastoo Rouhi, was promoted June 2024 six months after transferring in from the Intelligence Bureau. The lawsuit alleged that “it was clear that Rouhi and Stephenson have more than a professional relationship.”
“She was an intel detective for most of her career. She comes here and is promoted within a short amount of time,” Nardini mentioned.
Rouhi allegedly instructed a bunch of cops, “I didn’t receive this promotion because I was f—–g a chief. I received this promotion because my father contributed more than $40,000 to Mayor Adams’ campaign,” the lawsuit claims.
“What we can say is that Mayor Adams and his administration have always obeyed the law and followed proper procedures,” Shapiro mentioned. “The Mayor made no communications or exerted any influence on the NYPD regarding this promotion. Personnel matters are decided internally by the department, and we are confident the facts will bear that out.”
Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak added that Osorio by no means referred to as Adams to ask him to again Rouhi’s promotion. She added Rouhi was promoted in an affordable period of time after she spent years working her means up the ladder.
Initially Revealed: September 9, 2025 at 5:58 PM EDT
