There is yet another corruption investigation taking place In New York City this year potentially involving both the NYPD and the office of Mayor Eric Adams. Normally, seeing a corruption investigation unfolding in Gotham is only newsworthy because someone actually bothered to investigate it, but this one has already taken some interesting twists and turns. The latest of these arrived with the revelation that federal agents have ordered the NYPD to not destroy any records, electronic files, or devices associated with Police Commissioner Edward Caban or his twin brother. The feds have reason to believe that some of those records may provide evidence of corruption involving the police force. The order further suggests that someone may be tempted to make any such evidence conveniently "disappear" before a thorough investigation could be completed. (NY Post)

The NYPD was served with an evidence preservation letter by federal agents ordering them not to destroy any electronic files — as investigators target information linked to alleged influence peddling at Big Apple nightclubs by Police Commissioner Edward Caban’s twin brother, The Post has learned.

“They’re asking that all the hard disks and servers be preserved because the federal government thinks there’s evidence of corruption on those machines,” a police source told The Post Saturday.

The feds delivered the letter to the department’s legal bureau at 1 Police Plaza on Friday.

The feds have been investigating this situation for a while now, recently sending out multiple subpoenas for documents and interviews with senior people in Mayor Eric Adams' administration, including his Police Commissioner Edward Caban. According to published reports, Caban has a twin brother who set up a "nightlife security company" intended to work with the city's nightclubs and eateries. James Caban, a former NYPD cop himself, allegedly told various club owners that he could "keep them safe" if they hired his people. But he reportedly wasn't talking about protecting them from burglars or illegal migrants. Instead, if they got into any trouble with the city, he could ensure that the matter would be handled by executives inside the administration rather than mucking about with inspections and certifications. It seemed to be, borrowing an old phrase from NYC gang movies, "an offer that was too good to refuse."

We've been covering the administration of Eric Adams from the beginning and this just seems like part of an ongoing pattern. Some of us originally had high hopes for Eric Adams because, as a former Police Chief himself, it was hoped that he would bring that experience and perspective to his new job. If you want to rebuild the police force and reduce crime, who better to do that than a former cop, right? And to be clear, Adams has attempted some admirable reforms and even seen some successes in those efforts. But a bit of digging also revealed a long trail of what appeared to be favoritism and potential corruption.

Adams started off his term exhibiting a habit of promoting certain products and services being marketed to the NYPD by one of his relatives. He also made a habit of trying to hire some of his relatives and older cronies to serve in some of the highest paying jobs in the city. One of Adams' oldest friends and advisers is the Schools Chancellor in Gotham. He was caught in October of 2022 hiring his buddy's girlfriend for a plush job while the friend hired Adams' girlfriend for a similarly enviable position on the city payroll. Other examples turned up as well, but it all painted a picture of someone who moved in circles where public funds were used as a piggy bank for Adams and his friends.

With that in mind, would it really be all that shocking if Edward Caban and his twin brother were getting in on the action? It's not as if those traveling in Adams' circles haven't been found with their hands in the cookie jar before. But this time the feds seem to have gotten wind of all of this in advance. That doesn't mean that the records and equipment won't be destroyed anyway, but at least someone is putting in the effort to clean things up.