Agents seized electronic devices from the homes of Philip Banks, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety; Sheena Wright, First Deputy Mayor; and conducted a search at the residence of Timothy Pearson, a former New York Police Department (NYPD) official who currently advises on public safety. The raids took place simultaneously at 5 a.m. on Thursday. An attorney for Banks confirmed the raid on his client’s home on Sept. 4 but declined to provide further details. A neighbor of Banks in Queens reported being awakened by the disturbance and seeing approximately 15 agents outside. In addition, the FBI confiscated the phones of NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, as well as two NYPD lieutenants who worked in the commissioner’s office and on his detail, according to sources speaking to Pix11, a local news outlet. The phone of a lieutenant in the 10th precinct was also seized, sources confirmed. These searches mark the latest indication of potential legal issues within Adams' administration. Last November, the FBI seized two cell phones and a tablet from the mayor as part of an investigation into whether his 2021 campaign received illegal donations from the Turkish government. However, sources told The New York Post that this week’s raids and subpoenas do not appear to be related to the federal investigation of Adams’ campaign activities involving Turkey. The specific reasons for the search warrants have not yet been disclosed. Lisa Zornberg, an attorney for City Hall, told NBC News that investigators have not indicated that the mayor or his staff are targets of any investigation. Two of the officials involved in the FBI raids have faced recent legal challenges. Banks was previously named by federal prosecutors as an “unindicted co-conspirator” in a police bribery investigation during former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration. Pearson is currently facing multiple sexual assault lawsuits filed by female employees and is also under investigation for his involvement in a physical altercation at a migrant shelter.The FBI raided the homes of at least three senior officials in New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ administration this week, according to multiple sources who requested anonymity.
