The Manhattan district attorney’s office questioned the city’s buildings chief as part of an investigation into illegal gambling.
Investigators approached Eric Ulrich near his Rockaway Park home on Tuesday, the New York Times reported. People with knowledge of the matter told the outlet authorities had a search warrant in hand, and seized Ulrich’s phone.
Details about the investigation are sparse, but Ulrich has not been accused of wrongdoing. One person told the outlet the buildings commissioner’s involvement in the case stems from conduct that took place prior to his time in Eric Adams’ administration.
A spokesperson for City Hall denied knowledge of the investigation to the Times, but said Ulrich’s day-to-day role remains unchanged and members of the administration would cooperate if asked.
Ulrich has not publicly commented on the investigation.
Adams tapped Ulrich as the Department of Buildings commissioner in May, four months after the start of his administration. Ulrich was a senior adviser to the mayor from January to his May appointment.
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Prior to his appointment, Ulrich served as one of the few Republicans on the City Council for 12 years. Ulrich represented southern Queens, where he was a member of the Committee on Housing and Buildings. Towards the end of his term, he opened up on social media about his struggles with alcoholism and pursuing sobriety.
Ulrich has a personal history with gambling. In 2016, he notified the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board that he won between $5,000 and $47,999 gambling. The New York Daily News reported his annual financial disclosure form also revealed a collection of $50,000 in winnings from the state lottery last year.
In 2018, Ulrich penned a letter of support for reputed Bonanno crime associate Robert Pisani, who was facing sentencing on federal charges for collecting an unlawful gambling debt. Ulrich later doubled down on his support for his constituent, who was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
It’s not clear if that letter is a focus of the Manhattan DA’s probe.
— Holden Walter-Warner