4 arrested in Brooklyn shelter kickback scheme that's ensnared NYC Council member Farah Louis

Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News on Mar 31, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

NEW YORK — Four people were arrested Tuesday in connection with a federal corruption investigation that has ensnared NYC Council member Farah Louis and BHRAGS Home Care, a nonprofit providing homeless services to the city, the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s office said.

The feds are looking into whether Louis and her sister Debbie Louis, an aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul, accepted kickbacks related to the appropriation of city funds to the nonprofit, according to a search warrant obtained by the Associated Press.

Louis and her sister were not among those arrested Tuesday, nor was Edu Hermelyn, the husband of state Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn and chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party. All three were named in search warrants, according to the AP.

BHRAGS’ former chairman of the board of directors, Ronald Tirelus, and its executive director Roberto Samedy, as well as Miguel Jorge and Edouardo St. Fort, two other venders, were arrested and expected to be arraigned in Brooklyn federal court Tuesday afternoon.

All four were indicted in a scheme in which the BHRAGS honchos allegedly steered business to companies controlled by St. Fort and Jorge in exchange for bribes and kickbacks.

Tirelus and Samedy were also indicted Tuesday for embezzling more than $1.3 million from their nonprofit, the feds said.

“As alleged, the defendants used their leadership positions to loot public funds from an organization devoted to serving vulnerable New Yorkers,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella said in a statement.

“Rooting out corruption is a priority for our Office, and we will hold accountable anyone who exploits charitable trust for private gain.”

Tirelus and Samedy were each charged with wire fraud, embezzlement, and bribery-related offenses, and conspiracy to commit the same, as well as money laundering conspiracy. St. Fort and Jorge were charged with federal program bribery and related charges.

Tirelus, Samedy and Jorge were expected to be arraigned Tuesday, while St. Fort, who was arrested in Boston, is slated to be arraigned later.

“New Yorkers deserve confidence in their government,” Henry Robins, a spokesperson for the City Council, said. “It is essential that the federal investigation proceed fairly and expeditiously to bring this matter to a resolution.”