Mayor Eric Adams, who took office nearly three years ago on a promise to crack down on crime and punish criminals across the five boroughs, is the first New York mayor in modern history to be charged with alleged crimes.

Federal prosecutors accuse Adams of “providing favorable treatment in exchange for the unlawful benefits he received” from foreign nationals in violation of campaign finance laws, according to an indictment made public Thursday morning.

The historic charges are the culmination of a foreign influence investigation into Adams’ campaign fundraising during his successful 2021 mayoral campaign. Prosecutors alleged the campaign “sought and accepted” straw donations from foreign governments, including Turkey, that secretly donated to his campaign. In return, Adams allegedly provided favors to those governments. The charges against him include wire fraud and bribery.

The first hints about the scope of the investigation emerged last November, when federal agents raided the Brooklyn home of Adams’ top fundraiser, Brianna Suggs, and a handful of businessmen with ties to the Turkish government, including an executive at Turkish Airlines and a Brooklyn construction company. Investigators also targeted City Hall aide Rana Abbasova, who served as a liaison to the Turkish community during Adams’ tenure as mayor and mayor of Brooklyn. Adams has visited Turkey at least six times since his tenure as a state senator, representing part of central Brooklyn.

The raids followed allegations that Adams had contacted top fire officials, including then-FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro, to speed up security inspections at a brand-new Turkish consulate building in Midtown Manhattan in 2021, when Adams was not yet elected mayor.

Firefighters involved in the rushed reviews also described a list of projects owned by wealthy businessmen or politically influential developers that were also prioritized, Gothamist previously reported.

Adams has remained steadfast, saying he has no plans to resign, even after federal agents seized his phone early Thursday morning for the second time in less than a year. He indicated he will argue that the federal government improperly leaked details of the case to the press.

“I now believe that the federal government intends to charge me with crimes,” Adams said in a short video released Wednesday night. “If so, these charges are completely false, based on lies.

Adams also condemned the federal government’s response to the city’s migrant crisis.

“I always knew that if I stood up for all of you, I would become a target. And a target I became,” he said. “Despite our pleas, when the federal government did nothing while its broken immigration policies overwhelmed our shelter system with no help, I put the people of New York above party and politics.”

Politicians across the ideological spectrum called for Adams’ resignation — a stunning fall from grace for a mayor who described himself as the “face of the new Democratic Party” after winning the party’s June 2021 primary. Leading Democrats and political observers echoed that sentiment, praising Adams as a moderate, working-class leader.

Adams, a former NYPD officer, pledged to crack down on crime amid a post-pandemic spike in major crimes by restoring a controversial police unit tasked with cracking down on petty street crime and adding more officers to the subway. At the same time, he prioritized quality-of-life issues like getting homeless New Yorkers off the streets and defunding public transit.

The self-proclaimed “nightlife mayor” also bills himself as the Big Apple’s biggest promoter, frequenting Bronx bars, members-only clubs downtown and VIP parties with celebrities and influencers, bragging about his ability to keep “grinding” after a night out.

“People are afraid to go back to restaurants; now they see our mayor go out and say, ‘Come back to our city,’” he told CNN in 2022. “It’s a 24-hour city.”

Federal prosecutors have reportedly focused on a number of benefits Adams received while in office, including upgrades to first class on Turkish Airlines flights.

Spokespeople for the FBI and the Southern District of New York declined to comment on the charges. A news conference on the charges was expected before noon.

US Attorney Damian Williams, who is prosecuting Adams, has a history of high-profile corruption cases.

He recently obtained a bribery conviction against New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, who was also accused of aiding a foreign government in exchange for bribes. As an assistant district attorney, Williams prosecuted the second trial of former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, which ended in a guilty verdict.

Williams’ office is also prosecuting former Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin on bribery charges.

The case against Adams in the Southern District is just one of many corruption investigations facing his administration.

Federal authorities are investigating alleged bribery and kickback schemes involving senior law enforcement officials, as well as influence peddling by a key associate and contact for the Chinese community, Winnie Greco.

Earlier this month, federal agents also raided the homes of Adams’ first deputy mayor, Sheena Wright, and her fiancé, Schools Chancellor David Banks, and deputy mayor for public safety Phil Banks, David Banks’ brother.

Days after the raid, David Banks announced his plan to resign as head of the city’s school system, saying the decision had nothing to do with the investigation or the seizure of his phones.

Samantha Max contributed to the reporting.