City investigators seize cash from New York City Sheriff’s Office after Mayor Adams is indicted

New York City investigators searched Sheriff Anthony Miranda’s office in Queens on Thursday after receiving a report of unissued cash, according to the city’s Department of Investigation – raising another possible criminal investigation into an associate of Mayor Eric Adams.

A City Hall spokesman said Miranda alerted the Treasury Department, which alerted the DOI to cash that was not properly accounted for. Politico was first to report the search, but DOI publicly confirmed the investigation on Friday.

“DOI is investigating matters related to the sheriff’s office and was present at the sheriff’s office in Long Island City yesterday,” department spokeswoman Diane Struzzi said in a statement. “DOI will have no further comment as this is an ongoing investigation.”

The search was conducted within hours of federal prosecutors unsealing a historic indictment against Adams accusing him of taking bribes and fraud. It also comes as at least three other federal investigations have been launched into Adams’ associates and senior deputies.

Miranda and Adams served together on the police force decades ago, and Adams appointed Miranda to his current post. He is a longtime ally of the mayor.

According to testimony before the City Council last week, multiple complaints were filed with the DOI about improper cash seizures as part of what the city called “Operation Padlock,” a citywide effort to crack down on illegal pot shops.

Miranda told council members he didn’t know how much cash had been seized from cannabis stores, as he said the NYPD should accept all of the seized cash. But attorneys for cannabis stores said the NYPD blamed the sheriff’s office for the money.

Miranda is reportedly being investigated as part of a pay-to-play scheme. He is also embroiled in a dispute with union leaders over staffing the sheriff’s office.

Adams defended Miranda after last week’s council meeting, saying, “Yes, I have faith. He’s doing the job New York wants him to do.”

“Sheriff Miranda learned of what appeared to be unpaid cash being stored in safes and reported the incident himself to his superiors,” City Hall spokeswoman Liz Garcia said in a statement this week. “His superiors then reported this to the Ministry of Investigation. We expect every city employee to follow proper procedures.”

Union leaders questioned Miranda’s claim that she suddenly found and examined illegally seized cash a week after questions from council members.

“I don’t buy the fact that he magically found this and reported it to the DOI,” said Ingrid Simonovic, president of the New York City Deputy Sheriff’s Association. “What he did is a classic example of damage control. You will not conduct your own investigation if you find out you are under investigation.”

This story has been updated to clarify how the unaccounted cash was reported to the Department of Investigation.