New York City Mayor Eric Adams was charged with bribery and illegally soliciting a campaign contribution from a foreign national, Reuters, reported citing a federal indictment unsealed on Thursday (September 26).

Adams, 64, who became the first NYC mayor to be indicted while in office Wednesday (September 25) night, faces five total criminal charges, which include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, as prosecutors accused him of seeking and accepting luxury benefits, as well as allowing a Turkish government official to gain influence over him. The mayor, who previously served as New York Police Department captain and Brooklyn borough president, denied any wrongdoing in a statement obtained by NBC News following the indictment.

“I always knew that if I stood my ground for New Yorkers that I would be a target — and a target I became. If I am charged, I am innocent and I will fight this with every ounce of my strength and spirit," Adams said.

Nearly a dozen federal agents were reported to have searched Gracie Mansion, Adams' mayoral home, early Thursday morning hours after the indictment announcement, the New York Post reported. The mayor's administration was already facing several high-level resignations and at least four federal probes prior to the indictment including an investigation into whether his campaign conspired with the Turkish government to receive illegal contributions from foreign sources.

A Brooklyn home belonging to Adams' chief fundraiser was searched last year amid the allegations. Adams still served as Brooklyn's borough president at the time of his Democratic mayoral primary victory in 2021, at which point he reportedly reached out to then-Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro and encouraged him to evaluate a request from the Turkish government to use the building, which hadn't yet opened as fire department officials refused to sign off on the safety of its occupancy, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to NBC News.

Adams' phones were reportedly seized and Nigro was questioned by authorities as a witness twice, two sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed. Federal investigators also reportedly searched the homes and seized the phones of multiple other top officials within the Adams administration, which included Police Commissioner Edward Caban, who resigned earlier this month.

The Adams administration was also previously accused of a public corruption investigation and was part of another federal probe that resulted in the home of Adams' former director of Asian affairs, Winnie Greco, being searched.

Mike McConnell