You have the right to remain silent — that’s what one local police union is reminding members amid ongoing federal probes encircling City Hall and the NYPD.
The Detectives’ Endowment Association is advising members that they don’t need to speak to federal agents involved in the probe ensnaring former Police Commissioner Edward Caban and his twin brother, James.
“As most members are aware, the United States Attorney’s Office … [is] conducting an ongoing criminal investigation involving former PC Edward Caban, his brother James Caban, and others,” said the Thursday missive the union posted on its website.
“Agents have been visiting members’ homes in the early morning hours serving subpoenas and/or search warrants,” it continued.
“Members and Delegates must understand that they have an absolute right not to speak with the Agents or answer any of their questions, and that doing so could subject them to criminal exposure [under] the false statements statute.”
Instead, cops should “simply accept the service, inform the agents they are represented by counsel, and will have their representative contact the assigned [assistant US attorney],” it said.
The message comes in the wake of the frequent federal raids, incoming subpoenas and mushrooming investigations into reams of city employees by the Southern District of New York.
Caban stepped down last month after his phones were seized in what sources said was a corruption probe investigating possible influence peddling.
He has not been charged with a crime.
The post also told union delegates not to have “any substantive conversation” with any member who has been paid a visit by the feds, as that could make them a potential witness in the investigation.
“Our attorneys will speak with the member and decide what the next steps should be,” it said.
The message notes that: “The scope of the investigation, and precisely who the targets are, remains unclear.”
It comes as the federal dragnet around Adams, his close allies and key lieutenants grows ever tighter — so tight, in fact, that Adams himself became the first New York City mayor to be indicted for corruption and bribery last month.
Prosecutors say the embattled Democrat took a slew of improper gifts from Turkish officials and businesspeople — including $123,000 in free hotel stays and free, or deeply discounted, flights.
He also fraudulently took more than $10 million in public campaign funds, prosecutors allege.
In exchange, Adams allegedly did favors for his patrons — including pressuring Big Apple officials to waive fire inspections and push through approval for the sprawling Turkish Consulate in Manhattan, the indictment said.
Many of his trusted advisors and top officials have either already fled the administration or been pushed out in the face of the burgeoning scandals, including Caban, Schools Chancellor David Banks, former First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, former Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks and several others.
Although the feds raided each of their homes, none have been charged with a crime except Adams and Mohamed Bahi, a recently-ousted City Hall official accused of witness tampering and destruction of evidence.
