Former Citi executive pleads guilty in case involving the drugging and sexual assault of women

"A former Wall Street executive pleaded guilty on Tuesday to luring women to New York so he could drug and sexually assault them, including at his Central Park South apartment. He also pleaded guilty to included receipt of child pornography.Edward Gene Smith, 50, pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to four counts, including distributing a controlled substance with the intent to commit rape. He faces a maximum prison sentence of 80 years."

"Smith, a Harvard graduate, was working as a managing director at Citi until around the time of his initial arrest in July 2024 on child pornography charges, court documents show. Prior to joining Citi in 2021, Smith was a managing director at BlackRock, according to LinkedIn and court records. Smith's attorney did not immediately comment when contacted by Business Insider."

"A superseding indictment filed in December 2025 said he met a woman they called Victim-1 in 2020 over the internet. He paid her to spend time with him, including traveling to Florida to engage in sexual activity. In 2023, according to the indictment, Smith drugged her without her consent and raped her in his Central Park South apartment. Prosecutors say he recorded the assault while the victim was unconscious and later shared the video on an encrypted app."

Edward Gene Smith pleaded guilty to four federal counts, including distributing a controlled substance with intent to commit rape and receipt of child pornography, and faces a maximum 80-year prison sentence. He lured women to New York to drug and sexually assault them, including at his Central Park South apartment, recorded at least one assault while the victim was unconscious, and shared the recording on an encrypted app. A superseding indictment says he met a woman called Victim-1 online in 2020, paid her for time including travel to Florida for sexual activity, and in 2023 drugged and raped her without consent. Smith worked as a managing director at Citi and previously at BlackRock.

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