Although he agreed to plead responsible in February, Mohamed Bahi, an ex-Metropolis Corridor aide charged with funneling unlawful straw donations to Mayor Adams’ marketing campaign, has for months held off on formally proudly owning as much as any crimes as his lawyer stays in talks with federal prosecutors “regarding the resolution” of his case, court docket filings present.
Bahi’s lawyer, Derek Adams, declined to remark Thursday on whether or not the snag in his consumer’s case is linked to the quashing of Adams’ indictment, a dismissal that has led many to imagine the mayor is beholden to Trump’s political agenda. A spokesman for the U.S. legal professional’s workplace for the Southern District of New York, which indicted each Bahi and Adams, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
It’s frequent for federal prosecutors to supply leniency for defendants in corruption investigations who comply with testify in opposition to others charged in the identical probe. It’s unclear if Bahi made any settlement to testify in opposition to Adams at his trial.
However Duncan Levin, a white collar prison protection legal professional who was a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, famous any such settlement would now be moot, given the dismissal of Adams’ indictment.
Levine additionally mentioned the delay in Bahi’s case possible stems from his lawyer questioning the concept the Southern District would finish Adams’ indictment however not his consumer’s.
“That’s what I would say: You’re going to corruptly dismiss the charge against the mayor but not against my client? There’s something very unfair about this whole situation,” Levin mentioned.
“It’s totally unthoughtful for DOJ to dismiss charges against Adams and not consider the co-defendants, because it results in a perverse outcome where justice is flipped on its head and lower-level defendants can face jail time while the supposed ring leader goes free.”
Mayor Adams hosts a gathering at Metropolis Corridor in 2023. Bahi’s pictured at far proper. (Michael Appleton/Mayoral Pictures Workplace)
Prosecutors first revealed Feb. 7 that Bahi would plead responsible to a conspiracy depend in connection together with his position in pumping unlawful straw donations into Adams’ 2021 marketing campaign coffers on behalf of a politically-connected Brooklyn developer, who in flip allegedly bought assist from the mayor with a constructing allow concern. The prosecutors wrote on the time Bahi, who was Adams’ Muslim group liaison at Metropolis Corridor, had entered right into a written plea settlement.
Just a few days later, on Feb. 13, Trump Justice Division appointees first moved to drop Adams’ indictment, which accused him of taking bribes and unlawful marketing campaign money, principally from Turkish authorities officers, in alternate for political favors. Adams has mentioned he did nothing mistaken and denies a quid professional quo with Trump’s administration.
Since Feb. 13, Bahi’s legal professional and Southern District prosecutors have entered into three separate agreements to waive the Speedy Trial Act — which requires a case to maneuver to a preliminary listening to inside 21 days — to allow them to proceed “discussions” about his plea, filings present.
This Monday, they submitted the most recent extension, freezing Bahi’s case by Could 9 in hopes they will “reach a resolution of this matter,” Assistant U.S. Legal professional Robert Sobelman wrote within the new submitting.
“As noted in certain of the Government’s prior requests, the defendant previously entered into a written plea agreement with the Government. However, defense counsel Derek Adams, Esq., and the Government are continuing to have discussions regarding the resolution of this case,” Sobelman wrote.
The one different particular person charged as a part of the years-long probe that produced Adams’ indictment was Erden Arkan, an actual property developer who pleaded responsible in January to steering unlawful straw donations to Adams on behalf of Turkey’s authorities.
Not like Bahi, Arkan’s plea was formalized in {that a} decide accepted it at a listening to. The decide has scheduled Arkan’s sentencing for August, months after the April 21 trial Adams was alleged to face in Manhattan Federal Court docket.
Initially Revealed: April 11, 2025 at 1:22 PM EDT
