Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams’s former chief of staff, Frank Carone, has assembled a team of prominent attorneys to defend against federal bribery charges related to migrant shelter contracts. Carone, 56, was indicted in June and is accused of accepting $120,000 in bribes to direct a $7 million emergency shelter contract to a Queens hotel.

Carone faces allegations that, in concert with his brother Anthony Carone, he facilitated the contract award to Yan Po Zhu, owner of the Microtel hotel in Long Island City, and that the payments were funneled through his brother. Zhu’s employee, Crystal Chen, is also charged. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty.

The case centers on an emergency shelter contract awarded to the 75-room Microtel hotel located on 40th Avenue near 29th Street in Queens. Prosecutors contend the scheme began in early 2022, around the time Carone became Adams’s chief of staff. Carone resigned from the position later that year and subsequently founded a lobbying firm.

On Monday, the defendants appeared in Brooklyn Federal Court before Judge Kiyo Matsumoto, who scheduled the trial to begin May 3. Carone has retained eight attorneys, including former federal prosecutor Andrew Goldstein, who leads the defense team. Goldstein, known for his work on high-profile corruption cases involving former New York state political leaders, emphasized the team’s belief in Carone’s innocence. “Mr. Carone acted with integrity while in office and followed the law as a dedicated public servant,” Goldstein stated.

Among Carone’s legal counsel are Marc and Karen Agnifilo, lawyers for the accused CEO killer Luigi Mangione, and Arthur Aidala, recognized for his previous representation of Harvey Weinstein. Aidala has suggested the prosecution may be politically motivated, arguing that Carone was targeted due to his and Adams’s opposition to federal handling of the migrant crisis. He noted, however, that President Joe Biden has been out of office for more than a year and a half, calling into question the timing of the indictment.

The charges stem from an investigation into allegations of corruption tied to emergency migrant shelter contracts awarded during Adams’s administration. The case adds to the scrutiny faced by officials involved in managing the city’s response to ongoing migrant arrivals, which has been a contentious issue for New York City and federal authorities alike.