Retired NYC Sergeant Indicted in Migrant Shelter Bribery Case

A retired New York City police sergeant has been indicted on federal bribery charges in a corruption probe tied to city contracts for migrant shelters, with investigators examining potential kickbacks involving a City Council member and an aide to Governor Kathy Hochul.

Edouardo St. Fort, 58, was arrested Tuesday in Massachusetts, according to court records from Brooklyn federal court. The indictment, which remained under seal as of Tuesday morning, accuses him of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, bribery in programs receiving federal funds, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. St. Fort's company, Fort NYC Security, served as a subcontractor providing security services to nonprofit organizations that operate homeless and migrant shelters under contract with the city.

The charges stem from a broader federal investigation into the allocation of city funds for emergency migrant housing, which has strained New York City's resources amid an influx of asylum seekers since 2022. Prosecutors are probing whether City Council Member Farah Louis, a Democrat representing parts of Brooklyn, and her sister, Debbie Louis, Hochul's assistant secretary for New...