Ex-NYPD commissioner’s twin impersonated him to sway nightlife oversight, per complaint

Former NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban’s twin brother impersonated him on multiple occasions while visiting the 34th precinct as part of a scheme to influence nightlife enforcement in Washington Heights, according to a complaint filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Thursday.

The complaint alleges that James Caban, a former police officer, had a close relationship with Inspector Aneudy Castillo, the commanding officer of the 34th Precinct. NYPD Lieutenant Emelio Rodriques, who filed the complaint, wrote that Castillo “facilitated this deception.”

“The CO would always say ‘Caban is coming,’” Rodriques told the New York Post, which first reported the complaint. “We just thought it was the commissioner. I saluted him. Other cops also saluted him.”

The complaint goes on to say that Castillo and other officers made it clear that certain night clubs and lounges with ties to James Caban were “off limits to police oversight.” Officers were instructed to close out 311 requests against those businesses without investigating, the complaint adds.

Rodriques, who is Jamaican, alleged that when he attempted to report misconduct in the 34th precinct, he faced retaliation and discrimination based on his race and national origin. Rodriques said he was charged with ensuring officers comply with the law as part of his duties as integrity control officer, until Castillo removed him from the role.

“Nothing would please me more than to respond to those lies,” Castillo said in an email response to Gothamist’s request for comment. But he said he would need permission from the NYPD’s press shop first.

The NYPD declined to provide an on-record comment Saturday.

Rodriques’ complaint alleges “widespread corruption and abuse of power” in the 34th precinct, and says favored subordinates were offered overtime assignments and other opportunities, while he was excluded. He also alleges inappropriate sexual relationships took place in the workplace.

Rodriques said he observed the selective enforcement and corruption at the precinct between January 2023 and September 2024.

This is not the first time James Caban has faced accusations of corruption. A bar owner in Coney Island accused him of demanding payment in exchange for better treatment from the NYPD, NBC reported last year.

Edward Caban resigned in September, shortly after federal investigators seized his phone as part of an investigation by the IRS and the US attorney’s office in Manhattan. The search and Caban’s resignation coincided with several other, apparently separate, investigations into Mayor Eric Adams and members of his administration.

The NYPD has ten days to respond to the allegations, according to an announcement from the law firm representing Rodriques. The firm added that the case could also be referred to state and local agencies for investigation.