A former New York Police Department sergeant, who now makes over $100,000 per year with UMass Boston Police, has been arrested in Massachusetts on bribery charges for his involvement in a kickback scheme linked to a New York City Council member, an aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, and migrant shelters, court records obtained by the Herald show.
Edouardo St. Fort, whose New York company provided security to the city’s migrant shelters, was arrested in Massachusetts and indicted on federal bribery and other charges Tuesday, putting his Taunton home up to post an unsecured $500,000 bond at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. District Courthouse in Boston.
St. Fort and his security company, Fort NYC Security, were named in a federal search warrant, signed March 19 and obtained by the Associated Press. The feds were seeking to find out whether NYC City Council member Farah Louis and her sister, Debbie Louis — an aide to Gov. Kathy Hochul — accepted bribes or kickbacks in connection to a migrant shelter operator funded by city tax dollars.
The AP reports that the city agreed to pay St. Fort’s company over $7 million for security services, including at a Bronx hotel used as a homeless shelter.
Fort NYC Security is referred to as Vendor #4 in the federal indictment, obtained by the Herald.
“Between approximately February 2023 and January 2024, the defendants JEAN RONALD TIRELUS, ROBERTO SAMEDY, MIGUEL JORGE and EDOUARDO ST. FORT participated in a kickback scheme. TIRELUS and SAMEDY steered the Public Interest Organization’s business to Vendors #1 through #4 in exchange for bribe and kickback payments from ST. FORT and JORGE. TIRELUS and SAMEDY did not disclose to the Public Interest Organization Board the fact that they were receiving bribe and kickback payments,” the indictment reads.
City records further show that five of six contracts were awarded to St. Fort’s company on an emergency basis — allowing the city to bypass the bidding process in order to choose the lowest possible bidder and pay St. Fort immediately.
“Between approximately June 15, 2023 and October 13, 2023, ST. FORT paid SAMEDY and the Interest defendant JEAN RONALD TIRELUS more than $75,000 in bribes and kickbacks via payments from Vendor #1 to Company #1,” it says.
St. Fort is charged with conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, bribery involving programs receiving federal funds, and violating a law prohibiting interstate travel for unlawful activities, an arrest warrant obtained by the Herald shows.
Per the conditions of his release, set by U.S. District Court Judge Paul Levenson, St. Fort must turn in all three of his guns to law enforcement, must turn in his passport, and is restricted to traveling between New York City and Massachusetts for his court appearances, according to the signed bond document.
Councilmember Farah Louis is a Brooklyn Democrat, whose sister, Debbie Louis, serves as Gov. Hochul’s assistant secretary of New York City intergovernmental affairs. Prosecutors are seeking information about whether they received benefits in exchange for actions taken on behalf of nonprofits providing migrant sheltering and security services, as well as in-home services to the sick and elderly.
Hochul’s office tells the AP that Debbie Louis has been placed on leave.
St. Fort retired from the NYPD in 2023, joining the UMass Boston Police Department in 2024. The Peace Officer and Standards and Training (POST) Commission certified St. Fort as a Massachusetts police officer in June 2024, receiving an out-of-state exemption by the Municipal Police Training Committee on June 12 of that year.
He was certified by the commission, despite multiple misconduct allegations marked on his record during his time with the NYPD, including one situation where he and other male cops allegedly strip-searched a woman they detained.
“Plaintiff was arrested, taken to the 84th Precinct, strip-searched her in front of male officers, and charged her with Criminal Contempt in the Second Degree, Menacing in the Third Degree and Harassment in the Second Degree,” a summary of the complaint reads.
That case was ultimately dismissed with St. Fort being exonerated by the NYPD and not charged with a crime, but the city wound up paying a $12,500 settlement to the woman who filed the complaint.
State payroll records show St. Fort is now a sergeant with UMass Boston Police, taking in a $102,948 annual salary. In 2025, St. Fort was paid a total of $112,266 that included a $99,642 base salary, $7,693 in overtime, and another $4,931 in other pay.
St. Fort’s next court appearance will be at U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.
The Herald has reached out to UMass Boston for comment.