Former Police Officer Sentenced to 200 Hours of Community Service for Participating in Campaign Fraud Scheme to Assist New York City Mayor

A former police officer who prosecutors say was the mastermind of a scheme to manipulate campaign donations to support New York City Mayor Eric Adams during his successful 2021 campaign has been sentenced, authorities announced on Tuesday.

Dwyane Montgomery has been instructed to complete 200 hours of community service and is prohibited from organizing political fundraisers or collecting contributions for any campaign for a year as part of his sentencing, according to the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office.

The 64-year-old former deputy inspector of the NYPD accepted the terms of the sentence when he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor conspiracy charge in February. Montgomery was one of six individuals charged with conspiracy, attempted grand larceny, and making false statements in connection to the campaign donations scheme.

The indictment, revealed by Bragg’s office in July, did not implicate Adams but detailed a scheme by straw donors looking to increase their contributions in exchange for political favors at City Hall.

Requests for comments from Dwyane Montgomery’s legal representative and spokespeople for Adams were not answered by the Associated Press on Tuesday evening.

Prosecutors allege that between 2020 and 2021, Montgomery orchestrated over twenty straw donations by persuading friends and family members to exploit the city’s generous matching funds program, which matches the first $250 donated by a city resident at an 8-to-1 rate. Montgomery also played a role in coordinating fundraisers for Adams.

Adams, a former NYPD captain, has acknowledged knowing Montgomery from their time in the police force but has denied any knowledge of the scheme in his campaign.

The Democratic mayor and his close circle have come under increased scrutiny from law enforcement in recent months.

Federal agents seized Adams’ cellphones and iPad in November as part of a separate investigation focusing on whether his campaign collaborated with the Turkish government to receive illegal campaign contributions from foreign sources.

Additionally, at least three of the mayor’s aides, including his top campaign fundraiser, have had their residences searched by federal agents.

Throughout the ongoing investigations, Adams has consistently evaded questions while emphasizing that he has not been formally accused of any wrongdoing.