A former New York City official has been indicted on charges of bribery and fraud. Anthony Herbert, who previously served as the Citywide Public Housing Liaison within the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit, was arrested and has been indicted on multiple charges related to alleged corruption during his time in office. The indictment was unsealed yesterday, detailing the accusations against Herbert, as announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.
According to the statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, "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." Herbert, 61, is charged with multiple counts carrying potential sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years in prison for each count. These allegations bring to light the challenges within public service and accountability.
Herbert's alleged criminal activities spanned several years, from February 2022 through September 2025, during which he exploited his influential roles first as Brooklyn Borough Director and later as Public Housing Liaison to engage in corrupt practices. He is accused of receiving thousands of dollars in exchange for wielding his influence over city contract awards and for approving fraudulent payments to a funeral home director under a financial assistance program, as per the indictment.
Furthermore, Herbert allegedly submitted a fraudulent loan application for a fictitious baked goods company to secure a $20,418 loan under the federal Paycheck Protection Program established during the COVID-19 pandemic. This act represents a separate count of wire fraud in the charges against him. "He allegedly took advantage of his role to line his pockets by offering unfair advantages to certain businesses," IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. remarked regarding the case, the U.S. Attorney's Office reported.
The U.S. Attorney's Office further praised the coordinated effort by IRS-CI, DOI, and the Special Agents and Task Force Officers for their investigative work, which led to the charges against Herbert. While the charges themselves are accusations at this stage, Herbert will face a legal process to determine his guilt or innocence.
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