On March 31, the Eastern District Federal Court in New York released a complaint accusing two officials and two contractors of a nonprofit organization for the homeless, of embezzling over $1.3 million in public funds through bribery and kickbacks. Simultaneously, the FBI is investigating a New York City council member, their sister, and an assistant to the governor of Huchu State, for alleged bribery to aid the provider of homeless services in obtaining funding from the city.
The complaint detailed how Jean Ronald Tirelus, Chairman of the Board of BHRAGS Home Care Company, and Executive Director Roberto Samedy, allegedly misappropriated funds between 2020 and 2024 by manipulating financial and operational control of the organization through fictitious investment projects and establishing shell companies. One transaction of $800,000, purportedly for affordable housing investments, was funneled into an account controlled by Tirelus for personal use. The complaint also alleged that the two received over $200,000 in kickbacks in exchange for steering contracts worth millions to companies controlled by contractors Edouardo St. Fort and Miguel Jorge, which primarily provided security, maintenance, and furniture services for homeless shelters.
Tirelus and Samedy are charged with wire fraud, embezzlement, and bribery-related offenses, facing up to 20 years in prison if convicted; St. Fort and Jorge face charges of federal program bribery and related crimes, with each facing up to 10 years in prison.
According to a copy of a search warrant obtained by The Associated Press, federal prosecutors are investigating Farah Louis, a Democratic City Council member from Brooklyn, and her sister, Debbie Louis. The latter currently serves as an Assistant Secretary for Government Affairs in the Governor’s Office, and is suspected of receiving bribes or kickbacks during the allocation of funds from the city to the refugee service provider.
The search warrant, signed on March 19, aims to locate potential evidence of criminal wrongdoing.
Additionally, the search warrant mentions Edu Hermelyn, husband of State Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, who also serves as the Chairman of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.
A spokesperson for the governor confirmed that Debbie Louis was placed on leave last week following the FBI corruption investigation. When reached for comment on the investigation, the person answering the call immediately hung up.
The search warrant indicates that prosecutors are searching for communication records related to the investigation to determine whether the three individuals received undue benefits in actions taken for BHRAGS Home Care Inc. The company, based in Brooklyn, primarily offered home health care services. After a large influx of refugees arrived in New York City in 2022, BHRAGS secured its first contract for emergency refugee shelters, followed by over ten contracts for homeless services, totaling over $200 million.
The issuance of the search warrant does not mean that prosecutors have decided to file criminal charges; it merely shows that investigators have convinced a judge that further evidence is needed to clarify the situation.
The Louis sisters and Edu Hermelyn are key figures in the Brooklyn Democratic Party committee, which has been embroiled in several controversies in recent years. Edu Hermelyn briefly served as a senior advisor to former Mayor Adams before resigning. Subsequently, he worked as an advisor in Governor Kumer’s failed mayoral campaign.
None of the parties involved have responded to media requests for comment.