Federal authorities have raided the residences of several high-ranking New York City officials, including Edward Caban, the Commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD). The NYPD confirmed that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York is conducting an investigation involving certain members of the department.
On Thursday, the homes of additional senior officials appointed by Mayor Eric Adams were also targeted. These include First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III. A City Hall lawyer has stated that there is no indication that Mayor Adams or his staff are the focus of the investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, which is reportedly involved in some of the raids, have not provided any comments. As of Thursday evening, no official reason for the raids has been given. Sources indicate that at least one raid is related to an investigation into electronic devices belonging to NYPD executives, with Wright’s and Banks’ phones reportedly confiscated.
Edward Caban, who has been the NYPD Commissioner since 2023, is the city’s first Latino police commissioner and a close ally of Mayor Adams. Wright lives with David Banks, the city’s school chancellor and the brother of Philip Banks, whose home was also raided. It remains unclear whether both Wright and Philip Banks were targeted or if one of them was the primary focus.
City Hall’s chief legal counsel, Lisa Zornberg, has emphasized that investigators have not suggested that Mayor Adams or his staff are under investigation. Zornberg also noted that Adams, as a former law enforcement officer, has consistently stressed the importance of legal compliance within his administration.
Philip Banks, a former NYPD chief, had previously been identified as an unindicted co-conspirator in a bribery case from the previous administration. He left the NYPD in 2014 and was never charged with wrongdoing.
Mayor Adams’ term has been marked by multiple law enforcement inquiries. Last year, the FBI raided the home of Brianna Suggs, Adams’s chief fundraiser, as part of an investigation into alleged illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources. Several city officials and advisors were affected by that probe, and Adams himself was subpoenaed. The mayor has affirmed his cooperation with all investigations and has maintained that he has not been accused of any misconduct.