A Brooklyn bar owner has accused a twin brother of Ousted Police Commissioner Edward Caban According to a report, a man tried to “extort” him when he asked for help getting rid of the NYPD last summer.
Shamel Kelly told NBC New York He was introduced to James Caban, the brother of the top cop, by a City Hall employee — who was fired from his job Wednesday for his alleged involvement in the arrangement.
Kelly reportedly said James Caban told her he would solve her problems with the police department if she gave him $2,500.
“He said he would mediate my issues,” Kelly told the local station about the alleged conversation. “He said he could bring the NYPD to me and resolve our issues, that's what he said he could do.”
But the struggling businessman refused — and he claimed the constant police presence at his Coney Island bar made his situation worse, to the point that he eventually closed his establishment.
“When he said I had to pay for it, I thought he was trying to extort money from me, and I said, ‘No, I’m OK.’ I’m ready to deal with it, and it got worse,” Kelly said.
Kelly's business, “Juice & Moore Bar” – which is a juice bar by day and a bar and lounge by night – had all the necessary permits and liquor licenses, but was facing noise complaints in the summer of 2023.
He was introduced to Ray Martin, an employee of the mayor's Office of Entertainment and Nightlife, who he hoped could help him deal with the near-constant police presence at his bar, which was hurting his business.
Instead, Martin reportedly acted as a fixer for James Caban.
“He said he thought I should close the bar, and if I didn’t close the bar, there was only one way to stop the police, which was to talk to a friend of his, a guy named James Caban,” Kelly told NBC.
James Caban, himself a former NYPD policeman, is Edward Caban's twin brother. resigned from his job He took over as police commissioner of the New York Police Department on Thursday.
Keeping an eye on the twins Widespread federal corruption investigation The investigation extends to key aides to Mayor Eric Adams and top NYPD officials. No one has been accused of wrongdoing in the investigation.
Phone records reviewed by the news station show that Kelly spoke to James Caban via phone and messages in August 2023.
During one of these phone calls, James Caban allegedly asked Kelly for a payment of $2,500, according to the station.
The bar owner said he was shocked.
“I think you would say, ‘Oh, well, let’s figure out what the problem is.’ I’m not expecting that, ‘Oh, you have to pay me. No, that’s not for me,’” Kelly told NBC.
“I felt I was given an ultimatum. It seemed like either you live with it or you're going to be locked up,” he said.
Kelly ultimately closed his bar in February, he said.
He said he was upset and disappointed by what had happened, and believed he was not the only businessperson in the city to have faced such a situation.
“I don't think it's just me,” Kelly said. “I think it's probably happening in New York, to be honest.”
Shortly after NBC New York learned of the allegations against Martin, City Hall fired him.
“We are grateful to WNBC for bringing this information to our attention yesterday afternoon. Following this inquiry, we immediately began an internal review and found that Mr. Martin had violated the terms of his employment,” Fabien Levy, deputy mayor for communications, said in a statement Thursday.
“Mr. Martin was terminated yesterday for cause. We expect all city employees to act ethically and in the public interest. Because WNBC has just reported that both the DOJ and DOI are investigating this matter, we cannot comment further due to the sensitivity of their investigations.”
James Caban's lawyers say he is innocent.
“Mr. Caban has categorically denied any wrongdoing. His work — serving as a consultant and liaison between the department and a private company — is perfectly legal, especially given his prior career as an NYPD officer,” his attorneys, Sean Hecker and David Patton, said in a statement.
“Our client has fully cooperated with law enforcement agencies and when their investigation is complete, it will be clear these claims are baseless and hold no merit.”
Meanwhile, Kelly has been interviewed by federal agents and DOI investigators amid the ongoing corruption investigation.
