The former top aide to New York City Mayor Eric Adams was charged with receiving bribes in a classic “quid pro quo” scheme with a real estate business that financially benefitted her and her son, officials said Thursday.
Ingrid Lewis-Martin “engaged in a long-running bribery, money laundering and conspiracy scheme by using her position and authority” to “illegally influence Department of Buildings and other city decisions in exchange for more than $100,000 in cash and benefits for herself and her son, Glenn Martin II,” according to a Manhattan Supreme Court filing by DA Alvin Bragg.
Lewis-Martin, Martin and two real estate investors, Raizada Vaid and Mayank Dwivedi, all pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan courtroom Thursday afternoon to a variety of charges linked to their alleged pay-to-play scheme.
Prosecutors called Lewis-Martin “the second most senior person in City Hall” and said she “abused her position and sold her influence to enrich herself and her family.”
“The indictment unsealed today can be summarized in three words — quid pro quo,” Bragg told reporters.
“Today’s indictment alleges and portrays a clear picture: ‘You do this for me and I will do that for you.’ It was not what is in the best interest of the city of New York and those who live here.”
The defendant had been the longtime chief adviser to Adams until her abrupt resignation on Sunday, marking another tumultuous moment for the mayor of America’s biggest city.
Lewis-Martin and her son shared a joint bank account that was used to buy him a 2023 Porsche, support his DJ business and help finance his plans to open a Chick-fil-A franchise, officials said.
The defendants communicated using encrypted apps with “coded language” to ask for help inside City Hall, Bragg said.
“This was an unfettered, on-call quid pro quo arrangement,” Bragg said.
Lewis-Martin and her son were charged with alleged conspiracy, receiving bribes and money laundering. Vaid and Dwivedi were charged with bribery and conspiracy.
Adams was indicted by a federal grand jury three months ago on bribery, campaign finance and conspiracy charges.
The mayor allegedly received lavish gift and illegal campaign contributions from foreign nationals, including from Turkish interests to help that government bypass New York City safety guidelines to open a new consulate building.
This Manhattan DA case against Lewis-Martin has no connection to Mayor Adams, according to prosecutors.
“The mayor is not a target of our investigation and we do not have evidence of criminal conduct by the mayor,” Bragg said.
The Adams administration has seen a mass exodus in recent weeks of officials and advisers.
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban resigned on Sept. 12 amid a federal probe into the department’s nightclub enforcement, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Adams’ chief counsel, Lisa Zornberg, resigned on Sept. 14 in the wake of mounting legal issues for her boss.
New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks was set to retire and leave office late this year, but instead hastened his departure to mid-October.
Sheena Wright, Adams’ top deputy mayor, resigned on Oct. 8.
Brittany Kubicko and Melissa Russo, NBC New York contributed.
