Key facts
- A Brooklyn bar owner, Shamel Kelly, has filed a lawsuit alleging an extortion scheme by NYPD officers and city officials.
- Kelly's attorney claims officers extorted him and ran him out of business.
- The lawsuit details numerous visits from NYPD officials, including raids resulting in dismissed violations.
- Kelly had previously filed complaints with the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) regarding officer misconduct.
- A lieutenant allegedly threatened to make Kelly's life difficult and send daily inspections.
- A staffer in the Community Affairs Unit under then-Mayor Eric Adams allegedly referred Kelly to James Caban.
A Brooklyn bar owner has filed a lawsuit alleging that New York City police officers and city officials engaged in an extortion scheme that led to him being driven out of business. Shamel Kelly, the owner, claims that after he filed a complaint about officer misconduct, he faced a barrage of enforcement actions, including ticketing and raids.
According to the suit, an NYPD officer initially issued Kelly a ticket for an illegal U-turn in September 2022, which was later dismissed. Following this, Kelly filed a complaint with the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB). Subsequently, Kelly alleges that NYPD officials made numerous visits to his business, including raids in April and June 2023 that resulted in 26 violations, all of which were also dismissed. Kelly filed another complaint with the CCRB and visited the 60th Precinct to complain, where a lieutenant allegedly threatened to "make [Kelly’s] life a living hell and send inspections to his business every day."
In August 2023, a staffer from the Community Affairs Unit, operating under then-Mayor Eric Adams, allegedly referred Kelly to James Caban. Kelly's attorney, Harry Daniels, stated that Kelly was "simply trying to make a living and the very officers and officials who were supposed to be protecting him extorted him and ran him out of business like they were mobsters in a bad movie." Daniels urged "Every New Yorker should be concerned about this and call on the mayor to make it right."
The NYPD declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing its policy on ongoing litigation. The city’s Law Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Representatives for James and Edward Caban have previously denied any wrongdoing.