Manhattan bar owner, Shamel Kelly, accused James Caban, brother of former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, of attempting to extort him by demanding money in exchange for business favors. Kelly’s accusation comes amid a broader investigation into the NYPD’s nightlife unit, with federal investigators issuing subpoenas as part of a widening probe.
Federal agents have also subpoenaed the phones of NYPD lieutenants responsible for fielding bar-related complaints. These lieutenants, part of the special operations unit, handle quality-of-life issues across precincts through 311 hotline calls. Edward Caban, who resigned as commissioner on Friday, has yet to comment on the allegations involving his brother, James.
The lieutenants were allegedly told to take it easy on bars that were clients of James Caban, the former commissioner’s twin and himself a former NYPD officer: “Do not do enforcement, just mediate,” the cops were told, according to a source.
“Noise complaints, crowd complaints, drinking on the sidewalks, people having sex in their vehicles — it’s all behavior that affects the neighborhood,” the source said.
A Brooklyn bar owner told NBC New York Thursday that James Caban tried to “extort” him last summer.
Shamel Kelly, who owns Juice & Moore on Mermaid Avenue in Coney Island, told NBC New York he went to City Hall seeking a break from a heavy police presence at his establishment and that a mayoral staffer introduced him to James Caban.
Kelly’s bar, which served juice during the day and alcohol on weekend nights, had been hit with dozens of noise complaints, according to records. Kelly alleged that James Caban approached him with an offer to resolve his issues with the police—for a payment of $2,500.
“He said that he would mediate my issues with the NYPD,” Kelly told the station.
“He could bring them to me, have a meeting, resolve our issues is what he specifically said he could do, ” Kelly alleged.
“After he said I had to pay him for it, I felt like it was him trying to extort me.”
Kelly refused to move forward with the alleged $2,500 offer, and his bar eventually closed. The mayor’s office fired staffer Ray Martin on Wednesday over his alleged involvement in the scheme.
Thomas Donlon, a retired FBI official, stepped in as interim police commissioner on Friday. Edward Caban, who made history in 2023 as the NYPD’s first Hispanic commissioner, had pledged to crack down on crime during his tenure. Under his leadership, major crimes, including homicides, saw a notable decline.
