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A criminal investigation into the former commissioner of New York City’s Buildings Department has reached its final stages and charges are expected as soon as this week, according to three people with knowledge of the inquiry. The commissioner, Eric Ulrich, resigned in November shortly after investigators with the Manhattan district attorney’s office seized his cellphone and then interviewed him the next day. The inquiry continued after his resignation, with the prosecutors focusing on crimes related to bribery that occurred when Mr. Ulrich was still in office. A spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office declined to comment. A lawyer for Mr. Ulrich, Samuel M. Braverman, said that until he knew what the indictment contained, he would not comment.

Persons: Eric Ulrich, Ulrich, Samuel M, Braverman Organizations: Buildings Department Locations: New York, Manhattan

Edward Caban, who grew up in the Bronx as the son of a Puerto Rican transit police detective, on Monday became the first Latino officer to lead the New York Police Department in its 177-year history. Mayor Eric Adams announced the appointment of Mr. Caban, who had been serving as acting police commissioner, in a morning news conference in front of the 40th Precinct in the South Bronx, where Mr. Caban began his career as a police officer in 1991. The move came just over a month after Commissioner Keechant Sewell, the first woman to serve in the role, resigned after only 18 months, frustrated in her attempts to act with autonomy. Mr. Caban, who had previously served as first deputy commissioner, had remained close to the mayor through Commissioner Sewell’s tenure. He will oversee roughly 36,000 officers and 19,000 civilian employees.

Persons: Edward Caban, Eric Adams, Caban, Keechant Sewell, Sewell’s Organizations: New York Police Department Locations: Bronx, Puerto Rican, South Bronx

“After hearing about this case for so many years, it’s a shock to find out that your neighbor is a serial killer and you never knew it,” a neighbor, Cheryl Lombardi, said. The killings terrorized residents for more than a decade as body after body was discovered in the remote area about 40 miles from Midtown. In all, remains of nine women, a man and a toddler were discovered in the area. She disappeared during an escort job in Oak Beach, a gated community three miles from Gilgo Beach. Ms. Gilbert’s remains were found in December 2011, but investigators have said they do not believe her death is linked to the serial killer.

Persons: Cheryl Lombardi, Shannan Gilbert, Gilbert, Amber Lynn Costello, Maureen Brainard, Barnes, Megan Waterman, Melissa Barthelemy, Valerie Mack, Gilbert’s Locations: Midtown, Jersey City, N.J, Long, Oak Beach, Gilgo Beach, Suffolk County, New Jersey

New York City’s complex campaign finance law sits at the heart of the events sketched out in the court papers. The defendants are accused of trying to mask large donations by funneling them through straw donors. On Friday, Evan Thies, a spokesman for the 2021 Adams campaign, thanked prosecutors for “their hard work on behalf of taxpayers.”“The campaign always held itself to the highest standards and we would never tolerate these actions,” Mr. Thies said. The second took place after Mr. Adams had won his primary, effectively ensuring his election as mayor of the heavily Democratic city. For each fund-raiser, according to prosecutors, the defendants recruited straw donors and then reimbursed them.

Persons: Montgomery, Riza, Evan Thies, Adams, ”, ” Mr, Thies, “ Organizations: Mr, Campaign Finance Board, Democratic Locations: York, , New York City

A New York appeals court on Tuesday dismissed the New York attorney general’s civil case against Donald J. Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and potentially limited the case against the former president and his family business, which is set to go to trial in October. Last year, the attorney general, Letitia James, filed a lawsuit against Mr. Trump, his company and three of his adult children, including Ms. Trump, accusing them of fraudulently overvaluing the former president’s assets by billions of dollars to receive favorable loans. On Tuesday, the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court in Manhattan said in a unanimous ruling that Ms. James’s claims against Ms. Trump should be dismissed because the attorney general missed a deadline for filing the case against her. Ms. Trump was no longer a part of the Trump Organization after 2016, the ruling noted. The appeals court effectively left it to the State Supreme Court judge presiding over the case to determine whether the claims against the other defendants — including Mr. Trump, his company and his two adult sons — should be limited.

Persons: general’s, Donald J, Ivanka Trump, Letitia James, Trump, James’s Organizations: New, Mr, Division, Court, Trump Organization Locations: York, New York, Manhattan

The brief order by the federal judge, Aileen M. Cannon, instructed the lawyers to reach out to the Litigation Security Group at the Justice Department by Tuesday to “expedite” the process for getting a clearance. Neither of the lawyers who appeared with Mr. Trump at his arraignment in Miami on Tuesday — Todd Blanche and Christopher M. Kise — have active security clearances, but both have been in touch with the Justice Department about getting them, a person familiar with the matter said. Mr. Blanche, a former federal prosecutor, used to have one, and a member of Mr. Kise’s law firm has one now, the person said. That member will be assisting in Mr. Trump’s case. Any lawyer representing Mr. Trump — and he is still considering candidates — is going to need an active clearance because he has been accused of illegally taking 31 documents with him when he left office, many of which were classified as top secret, one of the country’s most sensitive security designations.

Persons: Donald J, Aileen M, Cannon, Trump, — Todd Blanche, Christopher M, Kise —, Blanche Organizations: Litigation Security, Justice Department, Mr, Trump — Locations: Miami

Around the same time, she was told she could not make discretionary promotions even at the lower levels of the department without getting clearance from the Adams administration, said Kenneth Corey, the former chief of the department, who worked under Ms. Sewell until he retired in November. “She was gradually being stripped of power,” he said. “They wonder what’s next,” he said. Ms. Sewell has not provided a reason for her decision to leave the job, which paid about $243,000 a year. On Tuesday afternoon, her office released a statement in which she thanked Mr. Adams — whom she had not mentioned in the internal email announcing her resignation — for the opportunity to lead the department.

Persons: Adams, Kenneth Corey, Sewell, “, ”, Corey, Ms, Mr, Sewell’s, what’s, Adams —, — Locations: ”

The indictment gives the clearest picture yet of the files that Mr. Trump took with him when he left the White House. Mr. Trump is expected to appear in Federal District Court in Miami on Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Trump continued to rail against the indictment on Friday, calling it the “greatest witch hunt of all time,” in a Truth Social post. Two lawyers, James Trusty and John Rowley, have left Mr. Trump’s legal team, and will no longer represent him in the documents case. “I will be represented by Todd Blanche, Esq., and a firm to be named later,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Jack Smith, “, ”, Waltine, —, Nauta, Trump’s, FVEY, Aileen M, Cannon, Judge Cannon, Biden, James, John Rowley, Todd Blanche, ” Mr, Charlie Savage, Nicholas Nehamas Organizations: White, “ United, Prosecutors, Mr, Court, General Services Administration Locations: “ United States, United States, Florida, Iran, Bedminster, N.J, U.S, Britain , New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Miami, White, Mar, Esq

The judge, Aileen M. Cannon, who Mr. Trump appointed to the bench in 2020, is scheduled — at least for now — to preside over the former president’s first appearance in Federal District Court in Miami on Tuesday, the people said. But it was not clear whether Judge Cannon would remain assigned for the entirety of Mr. Trump’s case. Judge Cannon’s involvement was earlier reported by ABC News. The chances that Judge Cannon would randomly receive the assignment were low. There are 15 active Federal District Court judges in South Florida, along with 11 on senior status who are still assigned to hear cases but at a reduced workload.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Aileen M, Cannon, Judge Cannon’s, Angela Noble Organizations: Mr, Court, ABC News, Southern, Southern District of, The New York Times Locations: Miami, Southern District, Southern District of Florida, South Florida

The Justice Department on Thursday took the legally and politically momentous step of lodging federal criminal charges against former President Donald J. Trump, accusing him of mishandling classified documents he kept upon leaving office and then obstructing the government’s efforts to reclaim them. Mr. Trump confirmed on his social media platform that he had been indicted. The charges against him include willfully retaining national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, making false statements and a conspiracy to obstruct justice, according to two people familiar with the matter. The Justice Department made no comment on the indictment Thursday and did not immediately make the document public. The indictment, handed up by a grand jury in Federal District Court in Miami, is the first time a former president has faced federal charges.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Biden Organizations: Department, Justice, Court Locations: Miami

Once he was sworn in as president, Mr. Trump reimbursed Mr. Cohen. Rather than publish her account, the tabloid suppressed it in cooperation with Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen, prosecutors say. Legal experts say that Mr. Trump and others appear to be at “substantial risk” of prosecution for violating a number Georgia statutes, including the state’s racketeering law. But if she were to prevail at trial, a judge could impose steep financial penalties on Mr. Trump and restrict his business operations in New York. Ms. James’s investigators questioned Mr. Trump under oath in April, and a trial is scheduled for October.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Trump’s, Jack Smith, Alvin L, Bragg, Stormy Daniels, Michael D, Cohen, Daniels, Karen McDougal, McDougal, Brad Raffensperger, Biden’s, —, Emily Kohrs, “ You’re, ”, “, Willis, Jan, Mr . Biden, Smith, Mike Pence, Mark Meadows, Letitia James, Mr, James, Donald Jr, Eric, Jonah E, Rebecca Davis O’Brien, Michael Gold, Michael Rothfeld, Ed Shanahan, Richard Fausset, Ashley Wong Organizations: Capitol, Manhattan, National Enquirer, Mr, ., The New York Times, Justice Department, Trump, Prosecutors, White House, Trump White House, New York, Civil, New Locations: Manhattan, Georgia, . Georgia, Fulton County, United States, Washington, Trump’s, New, New York, Bromwich

☆ Trump Asks Judge in Hush-Money Case to Step Aside
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( William K. Rashbaum | Ben Protess | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Former President Donald J. Trump is asking the judge overseeing his criminal case in Manhattan to step aside, citing ties between the judge’s family and Democratic causes, Mr. Trump’s lawyers said in a statement Wednesday. The motion for recusal, which has not yet been filed publicly, represents the latest effort by Mr. Trump’s lawyers to move his case away from the judge, Juan M. Merchan of State Supreme Court in Manhattan. The Trump legal team also recently sought to shift the case, brought by the Manhattan district attorney, to federal court. Mr. Bragg’s case centers on a hush-money payment to a porn star in the last days of the 2016 presidential campaign. The $130,000 payment, made by Mr. Trump’s former fixer, bought the silence of the porn star, who was otherwise poised to tell her story of a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Juan M, Alvin L, Bragg, Merchan, Trump’s Organizations: Court, Trump Locations: Manhattan

One of Donald J. Trump’s longtime lieutenants, Allen H. Weisselberg, was recently released from the notorious Rikers Island jail complex after pleading guilty to a tax fraud scheme. Yet Mr. Weisselberg’s legal troubles are far from over. The Manhattan district attorney’s office is now considering a new round of criminal charges against Mr. Weisselberg, 75, and this time he could be charged with perjury, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The threat of new charges represents the latest effort in a two-year campaign to persuade Mr. Weisselberg to testify against Mr. Trump. Mr. Weisselberg has so far refused to turn against his former boss, but the prosecutors recently ramped up the pressure, warning his lawyers that they might bring the perjury charges if their client declined to testify against Mr. Trump, two of the people said.

But for months, Mr. Santos has denied any criminal wrongdoing, even as he has admitted to lying about going to college and working for prestigious Wall Street firms. When he appears before a judge on Wednesday, Mr. Santos will hear the government’s case against him. Shortly thereafter, prosecutors will argue for the terms of release they believe to be appropriate to ensure that Mr. Santos returns to court. It is not yet clear whether Mr. Santos will lodge a plea or if he will be asked to do so in a subsequent hearing. Court records show that Mr. Santos spent nearly $700 using a stolen checkbook and a false name at a store near Rio de Janeiro.

Details of the case against Mr. Santos remain under seal, and the charges against him will not be revealed until later on Wednesday. A spokeswoman in Washington referred all questions to Mr. Santos’s lawyer, who did not respond to requests for comment. But for months, Mr. Santos has denied any criminal wrongdoing, even as he has admitted to lying about going to college and working for prestigious Wall Street firms. It is not yet clear whether Mr. Santos will lodge a plea or if he will be asked to do so in a subsequent hearing. Court records show that Mr. Santos spent nearly $700 using a stolen checkbook and a false name at a store near Rio de Janeiro.

Representative George Santos, the New York Republican who fell under numerous investigations over his personal and campaign finances after his biography was found to be a web of lies and exaggerations, has been charged by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, two people familiar with the investigation said. Mr. Santos, his lawyer and a spokeswoman in his Washington office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn could not be reached for comment; an F.B.I. The specific charges against Mr. Santos, who last month announced he would run for re-election in his district in Long Island and part of Queens, are not yet clear. CNN reported that Mr. Santos could appear as soon as Wednesday in federal court.

A New York Times analysis of about 30 false business records cases brought by Mr. Bragg and his predecessor — based on court records, interviews and information the office provided — shows that in this respect, the case against Mr. Trump stands apart. In all but two of the indictments reviewed by The Times, the defendant was charged with an additional crime on top of the false records charge. The decision to charge Mr. Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records — and no other crimes — highlights the unique nature of the case, the first indictment of a former American president. Mr. Bragg, a Democrat, has drawn criticism from Mr. Trump’s allies, who say that he bumped up the charges to a felony for political reasons. Mr. Bragg also said, at a news conference on the day of Mr. Trump’s arraignment, that an option for the second crime could be a federal election law violation, under the theory that the hush money illegally aided Mr. Trump’s candidacy.

Donald J. Trump is seeking to move his criminal case from New York State Supreme Court to federal court, one of his lawyers said on Thursday. One month after appearing in a Manhattan courtroom, where state prosecutors accused him of committing 34 felonies by falsifying documents to cover up a potential sex scandal, Mr. Trump will seek the legal change of scenery in a court filing later on Thursday. The effort to move the case to federal court, which is likely a long shot, will not have any immediate effect on the state case. The federal judge who considers the request could reject it on its face. But even if the judge finds the request worthy of consideration and orders a hearing in federal court, the state case will continue unhindered for now.

☆ Trump’s Lawyers Fight Bragg’s Effort to Limit Access to Evidence
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Jonah E. Bromwich | William K. Rashbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Lawyers for Donald J. Trump on Monday pushed back against an effort by the Manhattan district attorney’s office to limit the former president’s ability to publicly discuss evidence in the criminal case against him. The district attorney’s office last week asked the judge in the case to restrict Mr. Trump’s access to some case material. The office requested that the former president be barred from reviewing the material without his lawyers present, and more broadly from publicizing the prosecution’s evidence on social media or through other channels. In a court filing, Mr. Trump’s lawyers called the prosecutors’ request “extreme.” They argued that any restrictions placed on Mr. Trump should apply to prosecutors as well, and said that barring the former president from discussing evidence would violate his First Amendment rights. “President Trump is the leading Republican candidate for president of the United States,” the filing said.

Susan R. Necheles, a lawyer for Mr. Trump, declined to comment. The payment was made by Mr. Trump’s former fixer, Michael D. Cohen, who is expected to become a crucial witness for prosecutors at trial. In her request to the judge, Ms. McCaw cited Mr. Trump’s well-known propensity to use social media and public appearances to attack those investigating him. That pattern of attacks, she wrote, is particularly concerning given that Mr. Trump faces a separate federal investigation into his handling of sensitive documents. Mr. Trump should barred from reviewing that material without his lawyers present, Ms. McCaw said.

☆ F.B.I. Arrests Two on Charges Tied to Chinese Police Outpost in New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( William K. Rashbaum | Karen Zraick | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The outpost was one of more than 100 Chinese police operations around the world that have unnerved diplomats and intelligence officials. The case represents the first time criminal charges have been brought in connection with such a police outpost, one of the people said. The case against the men, Lu Jianwang, 61, and Chen Jinping, 59, grew out of an investigation by the F.B.I. and the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn into the Chinatown outpost, which conducted police operations without jurisdiction or diplomatic approval. Last fall, F.B.I.

The sentence, handed down by a judge in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, caps a lengthy legal ordeal for Mr. Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, which was convicted in December of doling out off-the-books perks to some of its top executives. One of the executives who orchestrated the scheme, Allen H. Weisselberg, pleaded guilty and testified at the company’s trial. But the verdict branded the company a lawbreaker, exposed a culture that nurtured illegality for years and handed political ammunition to Mr. Trump’s opponents. They also blamed Mr. Weisselberg, who they say carried out the scheme without intending to benefit the Trump Organization. But Joshua Steinglass, a prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney’s office, argued that the company carried out “a multidimensional scheme to defraud the tax authorities.”

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