NEW YORK — On Thursday, criminal charges were leveled against Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the former chief adviser to the mayor of New York City, her son, and two real estate investors on accusations of bribery and conspiracy. This indictment comes at a time when the mayor is grappling with a separate corruption investigation.
Ingrid Lewis-Martin, once a key figure in city government, appeared in a Manhattan courtroom wearing handcuffs. Along with her son, Glenn D. Martin II, a DJ with past performances at City Hall, and real estate investors Raizada Vaid and Mayank Dwivedi, she pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors assert that Lewis-Martin exploited her senior position since becoming one of the administration’s highest-ranking officials to benefit personally and financially.
Documents filed by the prosecution indicate that Lewis-Martin and her son received over $100,000 and other forms of assistance in return for expediting approvals for various construction projects. Outside the courtroom, her attorney, Arthur Aidala, maintained that Lewis-Martin’s actions merely involved assisting a constituent in navigating the complex bureaucracy of New York City. He characterized the case against her as “ridiculous,” asserting that the money was related to a legitimate business matter concerning her son, albeit without offering further specifics.
Mayor Eric Adams, a member of the Democratic Party facing his own federal bribery allegations, has not been identified as a target in this investigation, according to the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg. However, this latest indictment represents yet another challenge for an administration already surrounded by various scandals, including several that involve allegations of pay-to-play conduct among members of Adams’ close team.
Ingrid Lewis-Martin, age 63, had been one of Adams’ most trusted advisors, holding influential positions as he climbed the political ladder in New York over nearly twenty years. According to the prosecution, Vaid, a hotel operator with a finance background, and Dwivedi, a developer nicknamed “Pinky,” repeatedly solicited Lewis-Martin for assistance in securing approvals for projects, including a rooftop bar and a hotel. To fulfill these requests, Lewis-Martin reportedly urged officials within the Department of Buildings to act, which they did, as alleged by prosecutors.
“Time and again, she delivered for them,” Bragg stated in a press briefing, describing the situation as an instance of “naked cronyism.” In reciprocation, the developers transferred $100,000 to Lewis-Martin’s son, who allegedly deposited it into a joint account he shared with her. He later used a portion of these funds to purchase a luxury Porsche valued at $113,000, as noted in documented evidence.
Teny Geragos, representing Dwivedi, asserted his client’s innocence, expressing a desire to clarify the situation. The indictment claims that Martin II acted as the “intermediary” between his mother and the businessmen while also receiving their support for his personal ventures, which included a clothing line and the pursuit of a Chick-fil-A franchise. Notably, there appears to be no prior experience in food service management for Martin II, who performs as DJ Suave Luciano. The indictment recorded a phone conversation where Martin II requested Vaid’s assistance with application queries, to which Vaid responded affirmatively.
In a series of text messages, lawyers for Martin II accused prosecutors of misrepresenting facts and asserted that he had merely formed a friendship with hardworking executives. The indictment further details a conversation in which Martin-Lewis expressed aspirations of retiring off the franchise deal, commenting to an unknown person that “your sister has to be rich!” The success of the franchise remains uncertain, as no responses were received from Chick-fil-A regarding inquiries.
Court documents also reveal instances of Vaid directly requesting Lewis-Martin to have her contacts expedite an application process, to which she responded by communicating these requests to a high-ranking official within the Buildings Department. In some cases, actions were taken the very next day after such requests were made. Notably, starting in late 2022, Lewis-Martin instructed Vaid to utilize the encrypted messaging service, Signal, to discuss sensitive matters in an effort to conceal their communications, according to prosecutors. An attorney for Lewis-Martin acknowledged that many in public office opt to use such encrypted interactions but did not comment on the specifics of her directive.
Apart from the charges presented this week, it was revealed in court that Lewis-Martin is currently subject to multiple ongoing investigations. Authorities confiscated her mobile device and searched her residence in September after connecting with her upon her arrival at the airport from Japan. Investigators also took possession of devices from a key city official involved in a real estate transaction and a broker linked to city leases, both of whom were traveling with Lewis-Martin.
In a statement, Lewis-Martin has maintained that she is being “falsely accused,” emphasizing that she had “not made any arrangements in advance to accept any gifts or monetary compensation to carry out my duties.” Meanwhile, federal prosecutors have charged Mayor Adams, alleging he took extravagant travel perks and unlawful contributions linked to foreign nationals seeking to gain influence. Adams has also pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, and bribery charges, with his federal trial scheduled for April.
His administration has been marred by numerous investigations, raids, and subsequent resignations of key officials, including the police commissioner and several deputy mayors. Concurrently, Bragg is pursuing a bribery conspiracy case against former buildings chief Eric Ulrich, who has also pleaded not guilty. To date, there have been no charges filed against employees or officials from the Buildings Department concerning the alleged misconduct surrounding Lewis-Martin. As the implications of her messages extended to Ulrich’s successor, it remains unclear if any officials within the agency were aware of the purported scheme.
Douglas Muzzio, a retired political science expert and an observer of New York politics, suggested that these latest charges could significantly impact public perception of Adams’ time in office. Yet, he noted that the mayor has so far managed to withstand the pressures stemming from his own indictment.