Ingrid Lewis-Martin, former top aide to Mayor Adams, pleads not guilty to bribery charges

Ingrid Lewis-Martin, who until days ago was Mayor Eric Adams' top adviser, has been indicted in connection with an alleged bribery scheme to trade municipal favors for $100,000 in cash and benefits, including money her son used to buy a 2023 Porsche, according to the Manhattan district attorney.

Lewis-Martin, 63, surrendered Thursday morning and was arraigned hours later on the indictment, alongside her son, Glenn Martin II, and two businessmen, Mayank Dwivedi and Raizada Vaid, who allegedly benefited from special treatment she facilitated with the New York City Department of Buildings for a hotel and rooftop bar, as well as other favors. Charges in the case include felonies such as bribery, bribery receiving, conspiracy and money laundering. 

Among the other benefits provided to Lewis-Martin or her son: support in connection with his fashion line and a Chick-fil-A franchise, part of corruption she perpetuated for "the vast majority" of her time at City Hall, said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Lewis-Martin also helped Vaid's family member expedite a visa application via the office of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. Gillibrand's office did not comment.

"Today's indictment alleges and portrays a clear picture: 'You do this for you, and I will that for you,' " Bragg said, adding: "It was not what was in the best interest of the City of New York."

When the businessmen were having trouble with the city over one project being stalled and another application rejected, one texted the other: “Ingrid Madam is needed,” prosecutors said.

Lewis-Martin is the highest-ranking person in Adams' orbit to be criminally charged — besides the mayor himself, who was indicted in September on unrelated accusations that he took illegal campaign donations and luxury travel and did favors for those affiliated with the Turkish government. He has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is scheduled for next year. 

Bragg called the latest case "naked cronyism." He said there was no evidence of Adams' involvement. 

According to the district attorney’s office, the son got two $50,000 checks from the businessmen. He deposited the checks into joint bank accounts held with Lewis-Martin. He then transferred $50,000 to an entity for his DJ business, Suave Productions, and then used some of the money to buy a Porsche costing $113,000, prosecutors said.

"Lewis-Martin herself knew that this was wrong, we allege," Bragg said, nothing that she encouraged the defendants to use the encrypted messaging app Signal and coded phrases. 

During negotiations for the Porsche, Martin claimed that the source of the funds was his father, “and had someone impersonate his father in a phone call with the dealer,” according to a document filed by the district attorney’s office.

After buying the Porsche, he sent his mom a photo of himself and the impersonator.

“She responded cheekily, ‘Is that your dad?’ " the document says.

Each of the four defendants pleaded not guilty Thursday; Lewis-Martin was the first to enter a plea. The crimes don't qualify for bail, so the defendants were freed pending trial, with restrictions such as the surrender of their passports. Lawyers for the other defendants could not be reached.

The case involves wiretaps, said an assistant district attorney, Guy Tardanico.

During the arraignment, Lewis-Martin's defense attorney Arthur Aidala told the judge: "You have a woman here who has served this city admirably for 40 years. ... She has been a model citizen ... She is so fired up to fight these charges."

Tardanico said Lewis-Martin is facing a mandatory state prison sentence, if convicted.

The case was adjourned until Monday.

Lewis-Martin hugged several people in the gallery as she left the courthouse without comment, through a rear door, escorted by court officers. Standing out front minutes later, Aidala called the case "preposterous," "ridiculous" and speculated that the prosecution was meant to intimidate her into turning against Adams.

"The highest-ranking city official is gonna take a bribe in the form of a check and put it into her checking account? Come on, folks!" Aidala said.

"She helped a constituent, she helped a citizen, navigate the thick red tape of city government," he said, adding: "What she was doing here was just moving things along."

He said that her son, a co-defendant, was friends with the other defendants, with whom he had a "totally legitimate," independent business arrangement.

As for the use of Signal, the encrypted messaging app referred to in the indictment, Aidala said that it was used "because the government has violated all our privacy rights," and lots of people use the app innocently.

Asked about the money allegedly paid in the case, Aidala said "She never saw it."

At the heart of the case is the Department of Buildings, and, Bragg said, assistance Lewis-Martin help facilitate that was doled out regardless of safety.

The properties include Glass Ceiling, a rooftop bar near Herald Square, and the Hotel on Rivington on the Lower East Side.

She allegedly helped, “on numerous occasions,” expedite applications with the department and assisted with rejected applications, the district attorney’s office said.

Dwivedi last year bought the historic 19-room Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton Village, along with a partner, for about $17 million, Newsday has reported.

Over the past decade, the U.S. Supreme Court has strengthened what prosecutors must prove to secure a conviction in quid pro quo public corruption cases: an explicit agreement to take government action in exchange for a benefit such as cash.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.