Anthony Herbert, former Adams administration official, leaves federal courtroom in Manhattan after pleading not responsible to bribery, kickback, and fraud fees, Jan. 13, 2026
Picture by Dean Moses
Anthony Herbert, a former senior official in former Mayor Eric Adams’ administration, pleaded not responsible Tuesday to federal fees accusing him of operating a number of bribery, kickback, and fraud schemes whereas serving in Metropolis Corridor.
Herbert, 61, of Brooklyn, was arraigned Jan. 13 in federal courtroom in Manhattan after prosecutors unsealed an indictment charging him with utilizing his place within the Mayor’s Workplace to complement himself via pay-to-play preparations and a fraudulent COVID-era mortgage software.
Herbert was arrested earlier within the day and appeared earlier than U.S. Justice of the Peace Decide Stewart D. Aaron, the place he pleaded not responsible to all fees.
“Mr. Herbert is looking forward to having his day in court to respond to the allegations,” Herbert’s lawyer, Richard Washington, informed New York News.
Federal prosecutors allege that Herbert, who labored within the Mayor’s Group Affairs Unit from February 2022 via September 2025, repeatedly abused his position whereas serving first as Brooklyn Borough Director and later as Citywide Public Housing Liaison. In that latter place, Herbert acted as Metropolis Corridor’s level individual with residents and the management of town’s Housing Authority.
Herbert was fired from the Adams administration in September after posting a Fb meme criticizing Charlie Kirk following the right-wing activist’s deadly capturing in Utah.
Herbert attended former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s election evening get together on Nov.4, the place he informed New York News that there was no unhealthy blood over his firing, saying, “It is what it is. I own up to my responsibility of understanding that there are policies that have to be followed. It was just bad timing.”
Two separate schemes
In keeping with the indictment, Herbert engaged in two separate corruption schemes. In a single, prosecutors say he solicited and acquired 1000’s of {dollars} in money from a safety firm government in alternate for pressuring different metropolis officers to award the chief’s firm contracts, together with work at NYCHA developments.
In a second scheme, Herbert allegedly pushed metropolis officers to approve burial help funds underneath a program for low-income households to a funeral house director. Prosecutors say Herbert then acquired kickbacks from the proceeds of these publicly funded funds.
In whole, investigators allege Herbert accepted roughly $16,000 in bribes and kickbacks. The indictment additionally accuses Herbert of submitting false monetary disclosure types with town to hide the funds.
Herbert is accused of soliciting money and kickbacks whereas pushing metropolis contracts and burial help funds for private achieve, in response to federal prosecutorsPhoto by Dean Moses
Individually, prosecutors allege that in April 2021, earlier than his employment at Metropolis Corridor, Herbert submitted a fraudulent mortgage software for $20,418 underneath the federal Paycheck Safety Program, claiming to function a nonexistent enterprise that offered baked items.
Herbert is charged with two counts of bribery, trustworthy providers wire fraud, federal program fraud, extortion underneath shade of official proper, and wire fraud. The fees carry potential most sentences starting from 10 to twenty years, although any sentence could be decided by a decide if Herbert is convicted.
In an announcement issued on Tuesday following his arrest, U.S. Lawyer Jay Clayton stated the case displays a dedication to holding public officers accountable who abuse positions of belief.
“New Yorkers deserve honest and competent public officials,” stated Clayton. “As alleged, at a time when Anthony Herbert was serving as Metropolis Corridor’s liaison to the Metropolis’s public housing residents, he engaged in blatant pay-to-play schemes to complement himself.
Proof cited by prosecutors
Federal prosecutors say their case depends closely on recorded calls, textual content messages, and monetary information gathered whereas a safety firm government was cooperating with regulation enforcement.
In these communications, Herbert allegedly tied his behind-the-scenes outreach to metropolis officers on to requests for cash. In a single textual content message cited within the indictment, Herbert pressed the chief for cost, writing, “I meant to ask if u still can help out.”
The indictment additionally contains messages prosecutors say present Herbert’s consciousness that his conduct might draw scrutiny. In a separate alternate, Herbert cautioned that he wanted to watch out in how he operated, writing, “I just have to be careful how I do it so it doesn’t raise eyebrows.”
Prosecutors additional allege that Herbert coached the chief on keep away from exposing Herbert’s position whereas pursuing metropolis enterprise. In a recorded dialog, Herbert allegedly suggested the chief, “You don’t have to say nothing about helping out the mayor or nothing like that,” whereas discussing an upcoming assembly with senior metropolis officers.
Picture by Dean Moses
In keeping with courtroom filings, Herbert additionally portrayed himself as having affect over contracting choices, telling the chief in a recorded alternate that key officers “control that shit” and that “[the Mayor] is gonna tell them what to do.”
After the funeral house director acquired metropolis reimbursement checks, Herbert allegedly referenced his anticipated share of the proceeds and later accepted a $5,000 verify labeled “referrals,” which prosecutors say represented a kickback.
