Police Commissioner Edward Caban’s twin brother, James Caban, a former NYPD officer with a history of misconduct, is being investigated by federal authorities for allegedly acting as a “fixer” for high-end restaurants and nightclubs in Manhattan. Sources report that investigators are looking into various consulting work that James Caban appears to have done for upscale establishments, including helping businesses smooth things over with the police officers causing them trouble. The investigation is being led by prosecutors from the Southern District of New York and involves an extensive corruption probe involving influence peddling.
The sources state that James Caban was called upon when bars and restaurants received noise citations or underage drinking complaints, and he would then go to local precinct heads – many of whom are also under investigation by the feds. Those facing repeated violations could be hit with heavy fines or have their liquor license stripped from them. In connection with this case, sources say that James Caban, his brother Edward, and other police department members were targeted with raids on their homes and subpoenas in a broader corruption probe involving influence peddling.
This investigation is not the first time that James Caban has been in trouble. He started with the NYPD in 1989 but was kicked out in January 2001 due to substantiated charges of excessive force, abusing his authority twice in 1996, and wrongfully detaining a taxi driver who he believed stole money from his wife’s purse. In addition, James Caban was notorious for being an awful landlord, leading then-Public Advocate Bill de Blasio to place him on a list of the city’s worst in August 2013.
The investigation is ongoing, with neither James nor Edward Caban having been accused of wrongdoing yet.
