Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York | Department of Justice
A former New York City official has been charged with bribery, kickback, and fraud offenses, according to an announcement by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton. Anthony Herbert, who previously served as the Citywide Public Housing Liaison at the New York City Mayor’s Office, was arrested and is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron. The case will be overseen by U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni.
“New Yorkers deserve honest and competent public officials,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As alleged, at a time when Anthony Herbert was serving as City Hall’s liaison to the City’s public housing residents, he engaged in blatant pay-to-play schemes to enrich himself. The women and men of the Southern District of New York are committed to holding accountable government officials who abuse their positions of trust to benefit themselves.”
IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., stated: “It’s alleged Anthony Herbert used his position in the NYC Mayor’s Office to create a side hustle of bribery and fraud. He allegedly took advantage of his role to line his pockets by offering unfair advantages to certain businesses. Today’s indictment is the result of the incredible partnership between IRS-CI special agents and SDNY investigators, and now Herbert will face justice for his alleged criminal acts.”
Jocelyn E. Strauber, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI), commented: “This former Mayor’s Office official was responsible for engaging with members of the community on behalf of the Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, first as the Brooklyn Borough Director and then as the liaison between residents and leadership of public housing, and City Hall. He allegedly exploited this position of trust and influence to enrich himself, accepting $16,000 in bribes and kickbacks in return for favors, including pressuring other government officials to give City contracts to one company, and steering publicly-funded financial assistance payments to a second business, according to the indictment. As charged, he allegedly filed false financial disclosures with the City omitting the payments he received to conceal his criminal conduct. I thank the IRS and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for their partnership on this investigation and for their commitment to hold accountable City employees who abuse their position for their own gain.”
According to court documents, from February 2022 through September 2025 Herbert worked within City Hall's Community Affairs Unit—first as Brooklyn Borough Director until February 2023 before becoming Public Housing Liaison responsible for engagement with NYCHA residents.
The indictment alleges that Herbert solicited bribes from a security company executive in exchange for influencing city officials regarding contract awards involving NYCHA developments. In another scheme described by prosecutors, Herbert accepted kickbacks from a funeral home director after helping secure city-funded burial assistance payments intended for low-income families.
Additionally, authorities allege that in April 2021 Herbert submitted a fraudulent loan application using a fictitious baked goods company name in order to obtain $20,418 under the federal Paycheck Protection Program established during COVID-19.
Herbert faces multiple charges: two counts of bribery (each carrying up to 10 years in prison), one count each of honest services wire fraud (up to 20 years), federal program fraud (up to 10 years), extortion under color of official right (up to 20 years), and wire fraud (up to 20 years). Sentencing will ultimately be determined by a judge if there is a conviction; statutory maximums are set by Congress.
Jay Clayton commended IRS-CI agents as well as DOI investigators involved in building this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Catherine Ghosh and Daniel H. Wolf are prosecuting this matter through SDNY's Public Corruption Unit.
The charges are allegations only; Herbert is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
