After much speculation, New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned on Thursday. Citing "five sources familiar with the matter," as well as NBC News 4 and an internal memo that the local outlet received, NBC News noted that Caban resigned "amid a federal investigation into the department's nightclub enforcement."
Both Caban's phone, as well as that of his twin brother, James Caban, were seized as part of a corruption scandal involving the NYPD. James Caban owns a nightclub security business, as NBC News pointed out.
Caban held the role for a little more than a year, since July 2023.
As News 4 pointed out:
The development comes days after News 4 reported the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation division had joined the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York in the inquiry.
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At least one phone belonging to Caban was among several the SDNY and IRS seized from multiple NYPD officials, His twin brother, who owns a nightclub security business, also had his phone seized in the corruption investigation.
Several sources tell NBC New York federal investigators want to know if James Caban profited from his ties to his powerful brother and the NYPD. Specifically, the investigation is looking into whether James Caban was paid by bars and clubs in Midtown and Queens to act as a police liaison, and if those clubs were then afforded special treatment by local precincts, the sources said.
Other questions being investigated are if officers were asked to crack down harder on clubs that did not do business with the commissioner's brother or if promotions were given to officers who played along with the potential scheme, according to sources.
News 4 also provided Caban's statement, which at one point acknowledged that "the news around recent developments has created a distraction for our department, and I am unwilling to let my attention be on anything other than our important work, or the safety of the men and women of the NYPD. I hold immense respect and gratitude for the brave officers who serve this department, and the NYPD deserves someone who can solely focus on protecting and serving New York City, which is why – for the good of this city and this department – I have made the difficult decision to resign as Police Commissioner."
The scandal isn't a good look for Mayor Eric Adams, who has been tightlipped on many questions involving the investigation, though he did hold a press conference on Thursday afternoon. He will have to find his third police commissioner in less than three years, as News 4 pointed out.
Further, Adams is facing his own issues, as his administration is under other investigations. Federal agents also raided the homes of those close to Adams, including to do with a separate investigation as to if the Adams campaign conspired with the Turkish government. Recently, federal agents also recently raided the homes of deputy mayors and confiscated their devices.
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