Ex-Adams aide Mohamed Bahi weighing plea deal after being charged in Turkey corruption probe

Mohamed Bahi, Mayor Adams’ erstwhile Muslim assemblage liaison astatine City Hall, is successful discussions with national prosecutors astir a imaginable plea woody aft being charged with obstructing the corruption investigation that led to the mayor’s indictment, according to a caller tribunal filing.

The filing, submitted this week by Manhattan U.S. Attorney Damian Williams’ office, said prosecutors and Bahi’s lawyer person since his Oct. 8 indictment “had discussions regarding a imaginable disposition of this case.”

The feds wrote the plea talks stay ongoing and requested each filing deadlines beryllium frozen until astatine slightest Dec. 9 “to proceed the foregoing discussions and scope a disposition of this matter.”

It wasn’t wide from the tribunal papers whether immoderate plea would necessitate Bahi to cooperate successful the corruption probe that resulted successful Adams’ indictment.

A spokesperson for Williams declined to remark Friday. Bahi’s lawyer, Derek Adams, didn’t instrumentality a petition for comment.

The politician has pleaded not blameworthy to charges of bribery, fraud, conspiracy and soliciting amerciable run contributions.

The charges stem from accusations that the politician solicited and accepted amerciable run currency and bribes, including luxury question perks, from Turkish authorities operatives and others successful speech for doing authoritative authorities favors, including resolving gathering information issues. The feds accidental they are “likely” to bring a superseding indictment against the politician that could see further charges and defendants.

To date, Bahi is the lone different idiosyncratic to beryllium charged successful the Turkey-related probe. Bahi, who besides worked for Adams’ 2021 campaign, resigned from his City Hall job the time earlier the feds unsealed charges against him.

According to his indictment, Bahi helped an unidentified New York businessman illegally pump $10,000 into Adams’ 2021 run by giving astir of the currency successful the names of employees of his operation firm.

The indictment doesn’t sanction the businessman, but the Daily News previously confirmed helium is Tolib Mansurov, an influential subordinate of the city’s Uzbek assemblage and proprietor of United Elite Group, a Manhattan operation company who sought help from Adams with resolving Buildings Department issues erstwhile helium became mayor.

Specifically, prosecutors allege Mansurov told the politician successful a substance connected Feb. 5, 2023, that helium had “always supported you,” but was “having a hard time” with the Department of Buildings related to permits for a luxury condo gathering his steadfast was constructing successful Brooklyn.

“Let maine look into this,” Adams texted back, according to tribunal papers.

About a week and a fractional later, the Buildings Department lifted a stop-work bid connected Mansurov’s project.

“Mayor, member I privation to convey you for your help. DOB contented partially resolved and they promised to expedite the process. Thank you, you person my continued support,” Mansurov texted Adams aft the stop-work bid was lifted, prosecutors say.

Mansurov was raided by national authorities this past June.

Shortly aft that raid, prosecutors allege Bahi met with Mansurov and instructed him and his 4 employees to prevarication to national investigators astir the root of their contributions to Adams. Prosecutors allege Bahi told Mansurov the politician “believed” Mansurov “would not cooperate with instrumentality enforcement.”

Bahi, who’s facing witnesser tampering charges for his alleged communications with Mansurov, besides is accused successful his indictment of deleting grounds of misconduct erstwhile FBI agents raided his location this summer. The deleted grounds included texts exchanged with the mayor, according to the feds.

While saying helium ne'er instructed anyone to perpetrate immoderate crimes, aft Bahi’s Oct. 8 indictment, Adams said “I ever recovered him to beryllium thoughtful.”

“I ever recovered him to beryllium consenting to spell into each the communities.”

With Molly Crane-Newman

Originally Published: November 8, 2024 astatine 4:06 PM EST