The lodge, the Mayflower Lodge in Lengthy Island Metropolis, is owned by Weihong Hu, who has ties to former high Adams official Winnie Greco.
Authorities executed an early Thursday morning search warrant on the lodge as a part of an investigation led by the U.S. legal professional for the Jap District of New York, sources mentioned. The lodge is presently getting used as a transitional dwelling for newly launched inmates.
It was unclear what the precise goal of the investigation was, what was taken in the course of the search or whether it is associated to different ongoing probes. A spokeswoman for Housing Works, which operates this system for ex-inmates, mentioned the feds didn’t goal its initiative or any of its purchasers.
“Housing Works was not the target of the action by federal authorities – nor were any of the clients Housing Works serves at this site, agency management, any subsidiaries, subcontractors, etc.,” mentioned Simbi Akiolu, the Housing Works rep.
The Wyndham Backyard was getting used for a similar ex-inmate transitional housing functions in a program run by the Mayor’s Workplace of Felony Justice.
Greco resigned from the Adams administration in October. Her Pelham Bay properties had been raided in February as a part of an investigation additionally led by the Jap District. Additionally in February, the feds raided the New World Mall in Queens — the place Greco helped host profitable fundraisers for Adams’ 2021 marketing campaign, based on The Metropolis’s reporting. The complete scope of the probe continues to be unclear, however it’s believed to be centered, at the least partially, on marketing campaign fundraising.
Stephen Brill, Greco’s lawyer, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Hu’s lawyer, Kevin Tung, mentioned he didn’t know something about Thursday’s raid when reached by telephone.
Adams was indicted in September by the U.S. legal professional for the Southern District of New York on fees he solicited and accepted unlawful straw donations for his marketing campaign in change for finishing up political favors. He has pleaded not responsible and his trial is scheduled for April. Different federal probes have ensnared a number of members of his inside circle, numerous who’ve reigned in current weeks.
“Mayor Adams has been clear that this administration is dedicated to following and upholding the law, and we will continue to cooperate with any law enforcement requests, including those unrelated to the mayor,” spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak mentioned in an announcement Monday.
Initially Printed: November 18, 2024 at 3:13 PM EST