Turkish-born construction executive named in Mayor Adams indictment pleads guilty to federal charges
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- A Turkish-born construction executive named in the indictment against New York City Mayor Eric Adams pled guilty to federal charges on Friday.
Erden Arkan, aka "Businessman-5," pled guilty to making 10 straw donations to the Eric Adams 2021 mayoral campaign.
Arkan wrote checks to 10 employees, each of them for $1,250, who then donated to the Adams campaign.
He "did so at the direction and guidance of a Turkish government official in the consulate."
A well-known member of New York's Turkish community, Arkan is a co-owner of KSK, a Brooklyn-based construction firm specializing in luxury condominiums. His firm's ties to Adams emerged in November 2023, as investigators searched his residence, along with the home of Adams' chief fundraiser and his liaison to the Turkish community.
Arkan was one of several individuals implicated in the sprawling corruption indictment brought against Adams in October. He is the first to plead guilty in a public proceeding.
The naturalized United States citizen faces a potential sentencing from zero to six months in jail, and up to $9,000 in fines.
He will be sentenced Aug. 15, which likely will be after the mayor's upcoming trial.
Adams is scheduled to stand trial in the spring on bribery and campaign finance charges that accused him of accepting luxury travel gifts from Turkey in exchange for help with the opening of the Turkish consulate in Manhattan. He has pleaded not guilty.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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