NYC Real Estate Chief Resigns After Indictment In Bribery Probe
The lead real estate decision-maker in New York City has resigned after being indicted on bribery charges by Manhattan prosecutors Thursday morning.
District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed multiple indictments against Mayor Eric Adams’ former chief adviser; her son; Jesse Hamilton, a now-former deputy commissioner of Citywide Administrative Services; and two developers accused of bribing city officials.
DCAS Commissioner Louis Molina said in a statement that Hamilton, who was deputy commissioner for real estate services, resigned Thursday afternoon after pleading not guilty to one count of conspiracy.
“DCAS is the backbone of city government, and bearing that weight has never fallen upon just one person. Jesse Hamilton has tendered his resignation, and I’ve accepted it, effective today,” Molina said. “As we move forward, I want to assure New Yorkers that our focus on our mission is unwavering; delivering services on behalf of all New Yorkers and the agencies we support remains our priority.”
Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who resigned from the mayor’s office in December after a previous indictment, is at the center of four new charges. She is accused of participating in several bribery schemes in which she promoted projects and businesses and overrode other city officials’ decision-making in exchange for at least $75K in benefits, including $50K of taxpayer funds.
“We allege that Ingrid Lewis-Martin engaged in classic bribery conspiracies that had a deep and wide-ranging impact on City government,” Bragg said in a statement. “As alleged, Lewis-Martin consistently overrode the expertise of public servants so she could line her own pockets.”
Lewis-Martin allegedly handed out contracts for migrant shelters, redesigned city streets and expedited city review procedures to favor multiple developers. The bribes went beyond just cash — in one case, she scored a speaking role in a TV show, according to prosecutors.
“Ingrid Lewis-Martin is facing charges classified at the lowest level of felony in our justice system. Her only so-called ‘offense’ was fulfilling her duty — helping fellow citizens navigate the city’s outdated and often overwhelming bureaucracy,” her attorney, Arthur Aidala, said in a statement to The New York Times.
“At no point did she receive a single dollar or any personal benefit for her assistance,” he added. “We will vigorously fight these charges and ensure that the facts prevail.”
In one indictment, Hamilton, a former state senator, is charged alongside developer Yechiel Landau.
Developer Tian Ji Li and production company and soundstage owners Gina and Anthony Argento were also charged. Lewis-Martin’s son was included in two of the indictments and accused of acting as an intermediary between the mayor’s then-adviser and the developers.
All six surrendered to the Manhattan courthouse Thursday, where they were led into court in handcuffs. They each pleaded not guilty and were released without bail, The City reported. Landau and a representative for the Argentos didn't immediately respond to Bisnow’s request for comment. Li could not be reached for comment.
“While Ingrid Lewis-Martin no longer works for this administration, she has been a friend and colleague for over 40 years, and I know her as a devoted public servant; she has declared her innocence, and my prayers are with her and her family,” Adams, who is not accused of wrongdoing in the indictment, said in a statement. “I also recognize that Jesse Hamilton has pleaded not guilty, and like anyone accused, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence.”
Lewis-Martin is charged with four counts of conspiracy and four counts of receiving bribes. Hamilton is charged with one count of conspiracy.
The new charges are in addition to a separate indictment filed in December, which accused Lewis-Martin of expediting Department of Building permits in exchange for financial bribes in excess of $100K and benefits for her son.
Landau is the developer behind 498 Columbia St. in Red Hook, Brooklyn, where he is planning an eight-story affordable housing development. The indictment accuses Lewis-Martin of putting Landau in touch with city officials, including pulling officials out of meetings with the mayor to discuss the projects and speed up approval processes. The project received more than $130M in tax-exempt bonds from the city last year.
Additionally, Lewis-Martin and Hamilton are accused of steering leasing agreements to Landau’s building in Jamaica, Queens. In exchange, Landau renovated Lewis-Martin and Hamilton’s homes using over $5,000 from his business accounts.
Lewis-Martin is similarly accused of directing migrant shelter contracts toward Li, who provided a list of potential locations to the Mayor’s adviser over an encrypted messaging app.
Li would allegedly act as a mediator between city representatives and unnamed property owners, receiving a 10% cut of the contract. In one case cited in the filing, a property owner entered into a $12M contract, giving Li $1.2M. After receiving that money, he wired $50K to Lewis-Martin, prosecutors allege.
In another instance, Lewis-Martin allegedly contacted Hamilton while attempting to renew and enter new shelter agreements for Li.
“I want you all to go back to the sites for TJ Li…I need those done…whatever site TJ wants, I need him to get them,” she told Hamilton, according to the indictment. “Because that’s our fucking people.”
The indictment also states that Lewis-Martin expedited a fire alarm application for V Show, Li’s karaoke bar.
In September, Lewis-Martin, Hamilton and Li took a personal trip to Japan. The indictment claims that on the return flight Sept. 27, Li deleted text messages between him and the city officials. Their cellphones were seized by prosecutors that same day.
Another indictment accuses Lewis-Martin of getting involved with the bike lane redesign of McGuinness Boulevard on behalf of the Argento family. The Department of Transportation planned to remove lanes from the street and add bike lanes, which would have impacted traffic around one of the properties owned by the Argentos’ company, Broadway Stages.
Broadway Stages controls more than 4M SF of production space in Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island, according to The Times. The company told the paper in a statement that it was innocent of wrongdoing.
Lewis-Martin is accused of communicating with the Argentos during negotiations. On July 8, 2023, she allegedly texted Gina Argento an image of a flyer from Make McGuinness Safe, an advocacy group in favor of additional bike lanes and pedestrian spaces.
“We do not care what they say. We are ignoring them and continuing with our plan,” she allegedly wrote. “They can kiss my ass.”
Lewis-Martin was able to convince the mayor's office to withdraw the DOT’s initial plan in favor of a plan supported by the Argentos, according to the indictment. In exchange, the siblings allegedly paid her $2,500, provided her with $10K of catering services for a Gracie Mansion event and gave her a role in an episode of Godfather of Harlem.
The acting gig paid Lewis-Martin $800 and made her eligible to join the Screen Actors Guild, according to the filing. Tony Argento also promised to be her agent and get her additional roles in Godfather of Harlem and Blue Bloods.
The indictment also accuses Lewis-Martin of helping an unnamed individual receive DOB approval to renovate their home. As payment, the anonymous person provided almost $10K of seafood for Gracie Mansion and City Hall events over the course of four months in 2024, according to the filing.
Lewis-Martin resigned from her position late last year before the first indictment was filed against her. At the time, at a conference, she told members of the press that “I have never taken any gifts, money, anything.”
Adams had his own indictment brought against him, accusing the mayor of accepting and soliciting illegal campaign contributions, wire fraud and bribery in exchange for speeding up development projects. Those charges were dropped by federal prosecutors earlier this year.
