NYC bar owner claims outgoing NYPD commish’s brother James Caban tried to ‘extort’ him over police enforcement: report
ByAllie Griffin and
Craig McCarthy
Published Sep. 12, 2024, 11:05 p.m. ET
453 Comments
A Brooklyn bar owner has alleged that the twin brother of ousted Police Commissioner Edward Caban tried to “extort” him when he sought help getting the NYPD off his back last summer, according to a report.
Shamel Kelly told NBC New York that he was introduced to the top cop’s brother, James Caban, by a City Hall staffer — who was fired Wednesday over his alleged involvement in the arrangement.
Kelly reportedly said James Caban told him that he’d take care of his problems with the police department if he paid him $2,500.
5Bar owner Shamel Kelly said James Caban said he would get the NYPD off his back if he paid him $2,500.NBC 4
“He said he will mediate my issues,” Kelly told the local station of the alleged conversation. “He said he could bring the NYPD to me and resolve our issues is what he said he could do.”
But the struggling business owner refused — and he claimed the constant police presence at his Coney Island bar only got worse, to the point that he eventually shuttered the establishment.
NYPD Commissioner resigns amid federal probe: sources
“After he said I had to pay him for it, I felt like he was trying to extort me and I said, ‘Nah I’m good. I’ll just deal with how I’m gonna deal with it,’ and it got worse,” Kelly said.
Kelly’s business, Juice and Moore Bar — a juice bar by day and a bar and lounge by night — had all the required permits and liquor licenses, but was facing a slew of noise complaints in the summer of 2023.
5Ray Martin, a mayor’s office staffer, connected Kelly with James Caban. He was fired by City Hall Thursday.
He was introduced to a staffer from the Mayor’s Office of Entertainment and Nightlife, Ray Martin, who he hoped could help him sort out the nearly constant police presence at his bar that he said was hurting his business.
Instead, Martin allegedly acted like a fixer for James Caban.
“He went on about how he thinks I should just close the bar, and if I don’t close the bar, there’s only one way to get the police to stop doing what they are doing, which was to speak to one of his friends, which was the James Caban guy,” Kelly told NBC.
James Caban, a former NYPD cop himself, is the twin brother of Edward Caban, who resigned from his gig as the NYPD commissioner on Thursday.
The twins are being eyed in a sweeping federal corruption probe that extends to major aides of Mayor Eric Adams and top NYPD brass. Neither has been accused of wrongdoing in the investigation.
5James Caban, an ex-cop and the identical twin brother of former Police Commissioner Edward Caban, has denied any wrongdoing through his lawyers.NBC 4
Phone records reviewed by the news station show that Kelly spoke to James Caban over the phone and in texts in August 2023.
During one of those phone calls, James Caban allegedly asked Kelly for the $2,500 payment, according to the station.
The bar owner said he was shocked.
“I assume you’ll be like, ‘Oh, okay, let’s figure out what the problem is.’ I’m not expecting ‘Oh, you gotta pay me.’ Nah, that doesn’t fall with me,” Kelly told NBC.
“I felt it was like I got an ultimatum. It’s like either you gonna get with this — or you gonna get shut down,” he added.
Kelly eventually closed his bar in February, he said.
5Kelly refused to pay James Caban and eventually shuttered his business in February.NBC 4
He said he was upset and disappointed by what happened, and believes he’s not the only business owner in the city who dealt with it.
“I don’t think it’s just me,” Kelly said. “I think that is probably a thing that is going on in New York specifically, to be honest.”
City Hall fired Martin soon after learning of the allegations against him from NBC New York.
“We appreciate WNBC for bringing this information to our attention yesterday afternoon. After receiving this inquiry, we immediately began an internal review and found that Mr. Martin violated the terms of his employment,” Deputy Mayor of Communications Fabien Levy said in a statement Thursday.
“Mr. Martin was terminated for cause yesterday. We expect all city employees to act ethically and in the public interest. Because WNBC just reported that both the DOJ and DOI are investigating this matter, we are unable to comment further out of sensitives to their investigations.”
5“We appreciate WNBC for bringing this information to our attention yesterday afternoon. After receiving this inquiry, we immediately began an internal review and found that Mr. Martin violated the terms of his employment,” Deputy Mayor of Communications Fabien Levy said.NBC 4
Attorneys for James Caban said he is innocent.
“Mr. Caban unequivocally denies any wrongdoing. His work — as a consultant and acting as a liaison between the Department and a private company — is perfectly legal, especially given his previous career as a NYPD officer,” his attorneys Sean Hecker and David Patton said in a statement.
453
What do you think? Post a comment.
“Our client has fully cooperated with law enforcement and, once their investigation is complete, it will be clear that these claims are unfounded and lack merit.”
Meanwhile, Kelly has since been interviewed by federal agents and DOI investigators amid the ongoing corruption probe.
