Former Sen. Bob Menendez Receives an 11-Year Sentence from Judge
The ruling issued by U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein in a Manhattan courtroom could position Menendez among the few senators in history to face imprisonment.
TroibNews 
Former New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez has been sentenced to 11 years in prison by a federal judge in a Manhattan courtroom on Wednesday.
The sentence, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Sidney Stein, places Menendez among a rare group of senators historically imprisoned after guilty verdicts. Stein indicated that the lengthy sentence serves as a deterrent to other politicians considering wrongdoing.
Prior to the sentencing, Menendez, 71, along with his attorney, expressed remorse and pleaded for leniency, arguing that he had already faced significant consequences, including losing his public office and enduring ridicule as “Gold Bar Bob,” a reference to the gold bars and cash allegedly received as bribes.
“Other than family, I have lost everything I ever cared about,” a tearful Menendez told Stein, with his two adult children, including his son, Rep. Rob Menendez, in attendance.
Nonetheless, Stein emphasized that Menendez's actions reflected a fall from grace; he had previously been a staunch opponent of corruption in New Jersey politics but had succumbed to “greed and hubris.”
“Somewhere along the way, I don’t know where, you lost your way,” Stein remarked.
After leaving the courtroom, Menendez adopted a more defiant stance. Addressing supporters outside, he criticized prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, calling the evidence and charges against him “outrageous.” This confrontation with the legal authorities might be an effort to gain a pardon from President Donald Trump, akin to the strategy employed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams amid his own legal challenges.
Last summer, a jury found Menendez guilty of several offenses, including bribery, acting as a foreign agent for Egypt, obstruction of justice, extortion, and conspiracy, in collaboration with two business associates, both of whom were also sentenced on Wednesday.
One of the associates, Fred Daibes, a developer known for transforming Edgewater, N.J., received a seven-year prison sentence after emotionally pleading for mercy. His sentencing evoked tears from friends and family as he recounted his journey from a refugee camp in Lebanon to success, highlighting the impact of his imprisonment on his 30-year-old autistic son.
Conversely, Wael “Will” Hana, an Egyptian-American businessman, received an eight-year sentence following a bold address in which he challenged the integrity of the U.S. justice system. He proclaimed his innocence and labeled his conviction as a “terrible injustice.”
“I am an innocent man,” Hana asserted, despite being convicted of bribing Menendez and his wife, aiming to gain favor with Egyptian officials and making Menendez the first elected official ever convicted of acting as an agent of a foreign government.
In the fall of 2023, federal prosecutors announced the shocking indictment against Menendez, detailing a lengthy bribery scheme involving him, his wife Nadine Menendez, and three New Jersey businessmen. This followed a previous federal corruption case against Menendez that resulted in a mistrial in 2017, leading to an admonition from his Senate peers in 2018.
Prosecutor Paul Monteleoni noted Menendez's past contributions while advocating for a 15-year sentence, highlighting the senator's belief that his power was his own and contending that this behavior overshadowed his good work in public service.
Judge Stein reiterated that the 11-year sentence aimed to serve as a warning to other public officials against misconduct.
Menendez, Daibes, and Hana plan to mount aggressive appeals, indicating the legal battles are far from over. None of the three are required to report to prison immediately, and all are seeking to remain free pending appeal, a process that may extend for years.
Nadine Menendez is slated to go on trial in March regarding her involvement in the scheme, although delays related to her health have repeatedly postponed proceedings.
Jose Uribe, the third businessman implicated, reached a plea deal and testified against Menendez, with his sentencing anticipated later this year.
Judge Stein permitted Menendez to remain out of prison until early June to attend Nadine's trial.
Menendez's appeal is expected to challenge rulings made by Stein concerning the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause, which offers certain protections to members of Congress. The defense previously objected to the inclusion of certain evidence presented to jurors, which came to light after the trial when prosecutors disclosed that some material ruled inadmissible was accessible on a laptop used by jurors during deliberations.
While Stein rejected motions to overturn the jury's verdict based on the laptop incident, appeals at higher court levels may yield a different outcome.
Jonathan Kravis, a former federal prosecutor and current partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson, noted that the issues surrounding the laptop and speech or debate clause could attract interest from the Supreme Court.
“If I were picking out the issues here, I’d say the speech or debate clause is a good candidate,” he remarked.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
The sentence, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Sidney Stein, places Menendez among a rare group of senators historically imprisoned after guilty verdicts. Stein indicated that the lengthy sentence serves as a deterrent to other politicians considering wrongdoing.
Prior to the sentencing, Menendez, 71, along with his attorney, expressed remorse and pleaded for leniency, arguing that he had already faced significant consequences, including losing his public office and enduring ridicule as “Gold Bar Bob,” a reference to the gold bars and cash allegedly received as bribes.
“Other than family, I have lost everything I ever cared about,” a tearful Menendez told Stein, with his two adult children, including his son, Rep. Rob Menendez, in attendance.
Nonetheless, Stein emphasized that Menendez's actions reflected a fall from grace; he had previously been a staunch opponent of corruption in New Jersey politics but had succumbed to “greed and hubris.”
“Somewhere along the way, I don’t know where, you lost your way,” Stein remarked.
After leaving the courtroom, Menendez adopted a more defiant stance. Addressing supporters outside, he criticized prosecutors from the Southern District of New York, calling the evidence and charges against him “outrageous.” This confrontation with the legal authorities might be an effort to gain a pardon from President Donald Trump, akin to the strategy employed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams amid his own legal challenges.
Last summer, a jury found Menendez guilty of several offenses, including bribery, acting as a foreign agent for Egypt, obstruction of justice, extortion, and conspiracy, in collaboration with two business associates, both of whom were also sentenced on Wednesday.
One of the associates, Fred Daibes, a developer known for transforming Edgewater, N.J., received a seven-year prison sentence after emotionally pleading for mercy. His sentencing evoked tears from friends and family as he recounted his journey from a refugee camp in Lebanon to success, highlighting the impact of his imprisonment on his 30-year-old autistic son.
Conversely, Wael “Will” Hana, an Egyptian-American businessman, received an eight-year sentence following a bold address in which he challenged the integrity of the U.S. justice system. He proclaimed his innocence and labeled his conviction as a “terrible injustice.”
“I am an innocent man,” Hana asserted, despite being convicted of bribing Menendez and his wife, aiming to gain favor with Egyptian officials and making Menendez the first elected official ever convicted of acting as an agent of a foreign government.
In the fall of 2023, federal prosecutors announced the shocking indictment against Menendez, detailing a lengthy bribery scheme involving him, his wife Nadine Menendez, and three New Jersey businessmen. This followed a previous federal corruption case against Menendez that resulted in a mistrial in 2017, leading to an admonition from his Senate peers in 2018.
Prosecutor Paul Monteleoni noted Menendez's past contributions while advocating for a 15-year sentence, highlighting the senator's belief that his power was his own and contending that this behavior overshadowed his good work in public service.
Judge Stein reiterated that the 11-year sentence aimed to serve as a warning to other public officials against misconduct.
Menendez, Daibes, and Hana plan to mount aggressive appeals, indicating the legal battles are far from over. None of the three are required to report to prison immediately, and all are seeking to remain free pending appeal, a process that may extend for years.
Nadine Menendez is slated to go on trial in March regarding her involvement in the scheme, although delays related to her health have repeatedly postponed proceedings.
Jose Uribe, the third businessman implicated, reached a plea deal and testified against Menendez, with his sentencing anticipated later this year.
Judge Stein permitted Menendez to remain out of prison until early June to attend Nadine's trial.
Menendez's appeal is expected to challenge rulings made by Stein concerning the Constitution’s “speech or debate” clause, which offers certain protections to members of Congress. The defense previously objected to the inclusion of certain evidence presented to jurors, which came to light after the trial when prosecutors disclosed that some material ruled inadmissible was accessible on a laptop used by jurors during deliberations.
While Stein rejected motions to overturn the jury's verdict based on the laptop incident, appeals at higher court levels may yield a different outcome.
Jonathan Kravis, a former federal prosecutor and current partner at Munger, Tolles & Olson, noted that the issues surrounding the laptop and speech or debate clause could attract interest from the Supreme Court.
“If I were picking out the issues here, I’d say the speech or debate clause is a good candidate,” he remarked.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
