Mohamed Bahi, Mayor Adams’ former Muslim neighborhood liaison at Metropolis Corridor, is in discussions with federal prosecutors a few potential plea deal after being charged with obstructing the corruption investigation that led to the mayor’s indictment, based on a brand new court docket submitting.
The submitting, submitted this week by Manhattan U.S. Lawyer Damian Williams’ workplace, mentioned prosecutors and Bahi’s legal professional have since his Oct. 8 indictment “had discussions regarding a possible disposition of this case.”
The feds wrote the plea talks stay ongoing and requested all submitting deadlines be frozen till at the least Dec. 9 “to continue the foregoing discussions and reach a disposition of this matter.”
It wasn’t clear from the court docket papers whether or not any plea would require Bahi to cooperate within the corruption investigation that resulted in Adams’ indictment.
A spokesman for Williams declined to remark Friday. Bahi’s lawyer, Derek Adams, didn’t return a request for remark.
The mayor has pleaded not responsible to costs of bribery, fraud, conspiracy and soliciting unlawful marketing campaign contributions.
The fees stem from accusations that the mayor solicited and accepted unlawful marketing campaign money and bribes, together with luxurious journey perks, from Turkish authorities operatives and others in trade for doing official authorities favors, together with resolving constructing issues of safety. The feds say they’re “likely” to deliver a superseding indictment towards the mayor that would embrace further costs and defendants.
To this point, Bahi is the one different individual to be charged within the Turkey-related probe. Bahi, who additionally labored for Adams’ 2021 marketing campaign, resigned from his Metropolis Corridor job the day earlier than the feds unsealed costs towards him.
Based on his indictment, Bahi helped an unidentified New York businessman illegally pump $10,000 into Adams’ 2021 marketing campaign by giving a lot of the money within the names of staff of his building agency.
Particularly, prosecutors allege Mansurov instructed the mayor in a textual content on Feb. 5, 2023, that he had “always supported you,” however was “having a hard time” with the Division of Buildings associated to permits for a luxurious apartment constructing his agency was establishing in Brooklyn.
“Let me look into this,” Adams texted again, based on court docket papers.
A couple of week and a half later, the Buildings Division lifted a stop-work order on Mansurov’s venture.
“Mayor, brother I want to thank you for your help. DOB issue partially resolved and they promised to expedite the process. Thank you, you have my continued support,” Mansurov texted Adams after the stop-work order was lifted, prosecutors say.
Mansurov was raided by federal authorities this previous June.
Shortly after that raid, prosecutors allege Bahi met with Mansurov and instructed him and his 4 staff to misinform federal investigators concerning the supply of their contributions to Adams. Prosecutors allege Bahi instructed Mansurov the mayor “believed” Mansurov “would not cooperate with law enforcement.”
Bahi, who’s going through witness tampering costs for his alleged communications with Mansurov, is also accused in his indictment of deleting proof of misconduct as soon as FBI brokers raided his residence this summer season. The deleted proof included texts exchanged with the mayor, based on the feds.
Whereas saying he by no means instructed anybody to commit crimes, Adams instructed reporters after Bahi’s indictment that he “always found him to be thoughtful” and “willing to go into all the communities.”
With Molly Crane-Newman
Initially Printed: November 8, 2024 at 4:06 PM EST
