Former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez reported to Federal Correctional Institution Schuylkill on Tuesday to begin serving an 11-year sentence following his conviction on federal bribery and corruption charges.
The New Jersey Democrat, once one of the most influential figures in Washington, was found guilty in January after a nine-week trial that featured nearly 40 witnesses and more than 3,000 exhibits. Prosecutors argued that Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, accepted cash, gold bars, and a luxury car in exchange for using his political influence to benefit a group of businessmen.
Menendez had sought to remain free while appealing his conviction, but both U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his requests for bail. “Menendez has failed to identify a substantial question that, if determined in his favor, is likely to result in reversal or a new trial on all counts,” Stein wrote in his decision.
The case, first unveiled in a September 2023 indictment, grew through multiple superseding indictments filed in late 2023 and early 2024. Alongside Menendez, three New Jersey businessmen — Wael Hana, Fred Daibes, and Jose Uribe — were charged in the scheme.
Hana was sentenced to more than eight years in prison and fined $1.3 million, while Daibes received a seven-year sentence and a $1.75 million fine. Both men have already begun serving time at FCI Fairton in New Jersey and, like Menendez, are appealing their convictions.
Uribe, who entered a plea agreement with prosecutors, testified against his co-defendants during trial. He faces sentencing in October and could receive up to 95 years in prison.
Meanwhile, Nadine Menendez, who was tried separately due to a breast cancer diagnosis, was convicted in April on 15 counts of bribery and fraud. She has requested a new trial, citing what her attorneys described as a violation of her Sixth Amendment right to counsel of her choice. She is scheduled to be sentenced in September.
The convictions mark a dramatic downfall for Menendez, who served three terms in the Senate and once chaired the powerful Foreign Relations Committee. His incarceration underscores the far-reaching consequences of one of the most significant political corruption cases in recent U.S. history.
By FCCT Editorial Team
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