According to those acquainted with the situation, New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned on Thursday in the midst of a federal inquiry into the agency’s enforcement of nightclub laws.
Caban, the first Latino commissioner of police in the city, assumed leadership of the force in July 2023 after being appointed by Mayor Eric Adams, whose administration is under federal investigation on several occasions.
Caban wrote in an email to NYPD personnel that was obtained by NBC News, “The news surrounding 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 message continued.
In a speech later on Thursday, Adams declared that Thomas Donlon will take over as the acting commissioner of police. Donlon is an expert in national security who oversaw the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorist Task Force and the FBI’s National Threat Center. In addition, he served as the Office of Homeland Security’s state director for New York.
Caban’s phone was taken last week at approximately the same time as FBI investigators, conducting a different investigation, raided the residences of high-ranking Adams administration officials. Sheena Wright, the first deputy mayor, and Philip Banks III, the deputy mayor for public safety were among those whose residences were examined.
James Caban, Caban’s twin brother and owner of a nightclub security company, also had his phone taken as part of the NYPD’s corruption probe.
According to several sources, federal investigators are interested in learning whether James Caban made money off of his connections to the NYPD and his influential brother. The sources stated that the probe specifically looks into whether pubs and clubs in Midtown Manhattan and Queens paid James Caban to serve as a police liaison and whether local precincts then gave those establishments preferential treatment.
In a statement, Edward Caban’s attorneys characterized him as a “accomplished public servant who has dedicated his life to the safety and security of the people of this great city.”
Russell Capone and Rebekah Donaleski, the attorneys, stated, “We have been informed by the government that he is not a target of any investigation being conducted by the Southern District of New York, and he expects to cooperate fully with the government.”
A request for comment from the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York was not immediately answered by spokespeople.
The homes of several city officials and advisors close to Adams have been searched by FBI agents over the past year as part of a separate investigation that is thought to be centered on whether the Adams campaign colluded with the Turkish government to obtain illegal campaign contributions from overseas sources that were routed through straw donors.
The most recent search appears to have nothing to do with the Turkey inquiry, according to a source close to City Hall last week.
Adams has consistently avoided answering inquiries regarding the probe while emphasizing that he hasn’t been formally charged with anything.
The mayor stated on Thursday, “I take these inquiries very seriously and was as surprised to learn of them as you were.”
Shortly after accepting Caban’s resignation, he claimed to have come to the conclusion that “this is the best decision at this time.”
Adams continued, “I wish him well and I respect his decision.”