NYC mayor's staffer fired over extortion allegations following NYPD commissioner's resignation.

On Thursday, a staffer working for New York City Mayor Eric Adams was let go following allegations made by a Brooklyn bar owner that the staffer attempted to extort money from him by invoking the name of former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban's brother. This news comes amidst an intensifying federal investigation into Adams' inner circle.

The operations manager in the city’s community affairs unit, Ray Martin, was fired following a WNBC report that a Coney Island bar owner claimed Martin attempted to negotiate a deal with James Caban, the brother of former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, who resigned on Thursday. The alleged deal aimed to resolve the bar owner’s issues with the NYPD.

According to the report, Shamel Kelly, the owner of "Juice and Moore Bar" on Mermaid Avenue, claims he was told by the police commissioner that he would receive better treatment and assistance from the NYPD if he hired and paid the commissioner's brother.

Numerous noise complaints about loud music had been filed against Kelly, resulting in frequent visits from police officers of the 60th Precinct, negatively impacting his recently established enterprise.

Kelly told NBC New York that she felt like she received an ultimatum, stating, "It’s like either you're going to cooperate or you're going to face consequences."

"Martin stated that he was an assistant to Eric Adams. He mentioned knowing people and dropped the Eddie Caban name because he believed he was the NYPD commissioner, and he was facing issues with the NYPD."

Kelly claims that Martin advised him to contact James Caban for help with his NYPD issues, and that Caban demanded $2,500 upfront. Kelly provided WNBC with evidence from August 2023, including phone records and text messages, to support his allegations.

Kelly's business was a juice bar during the day and licensed to serve alcohol on weekend nights. He rejected Martin's alleged offer and ultimately closed his business in February.

The report broke, and New York City Hall informed Planet Chronicle that they were unaware of the allegations against Martin.

An internal review was conducted after receiving the inquiry, and it was discovered that Mr. Martin had violated the terms of his employment, according to a statement given to Planet Chronicle.

"Yesterday, Mr. Martin was fired due to misconduct. As per city policy, all employees must act ethically and in the public interest. However, since WNBC reported that both the DOJ and DOI are investigating this matter, we cannot provide any additional information out of respect for their investigations."

James Caban's lawyers stated to WNBC that he "absolutely denies any wrongdoing and that his role as a consultant and intermediary between the department and a private company was entirely legal, particularly given his past experience as a NYPD officer."

Once law enforcement completes their investigation, it will become clear that these claims lack merit and our client fully cooperated with them.

Prior to serving as operations coordinator since April 2023, Martin worked in the Office of Media and Entertainment.

James Caban is being investigated for allegedly offering consulting services to nightclubs, claiming they would safeguard the clubs from police surveillance.

The investigation led to the resignation of Edward Caban as the city's police commissioner on Thursday, days after federal agents raided the homes of the Caban brothers and other city officials and seized their electronic devices as part of a growing federal probe. However, Edward Caban's attorneys have stated that he is not under investigation.

For several days, rumors have circulated about a possible resignation following the Caban raids. On the same day, federal agents served warrants on three high-ranking Adams aides, including First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks III, and Timothy Pearson, a former NYPD official turned mayoral adviser.

Federal agents seized Adams' devices and raided the home of one of his top fundraisers last year. Despite denying any wrongdoing, Adams admitted receiving a subpoena from federal prosecutors and is currently cooperating.

In July 2023, Edward Caban was appointed as the first Hispanic commissioner of the NYPD by Adams.

Commissioner Tom Donlon, a retired FBI agent, has replaced him and previously led the National Threat Center and oversaw the Terrorism Watch List.

This report was contributed to by Planet Chronicle' Michael Ruiz, Alexis McAdams, Landon Mion, and Maria Paronich, along with The Associated Press.