Judge sets new May trial date for former Mayor Adams aide Frank Carone, 2 Long Islanders charged with bribery

A Brooklyn federal judge on Monday set a new May 7 date for the bribery trial against Frank Carone, the former chief of staff to ex-mayor Eric Adams, who is represented by eight attorneys to defend against the claim that he steered lucrative contracts for migrant shelters in exchange for kickbacks.

Carone’s brother, Anthony Carone, hotel owner Yan Po Zhu, of Glen Head, and hotel employee Crystal Chen, of East Williston, have also been charged in the alleged public corruption scheme.

Prosecutors charged that in 2022, during the height of the migrant crisis in the city, Carone received $120,000 to steer a $6.8 million city contract to Zhu’s Microtel hotel in Long Island City.

Carone, his brother, Zhu and Chen have all pleaded not guilty in the case.

In July, federal court judge Kiyo Matsumoto set an Aug. 24 trial date after Carone’s attorney said they wanted the trial to begin "as soon as possible."

On Monday, however, the judge said that because of the voluminous amount of evidence in the case, the date would be pushed back to spring.

"As you can see, Frank Carone assembled a formidable legal team," defense lawyer Andrew Goldstein said after the hearing. "We all believe in his innocence. The evidence will show what we believe to be true: Frank Carone acted with integrity and followed the law as a dedicated public servant."

He said they would begin filing motions "exposing the weaknesses of the government’s case."

Carone told Newsday he still wanted the case to be heard quickly, but the other defendants had to be accommodated.

"Nothing has changed, but I’m not alone," he said.