The wife of former US Senator Robert Menendez has been sentenced to 4 and a half years in prison for aiding her husband in a bribery scheme involving stacks of cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz.
Nadine Menendez, 58, was convicted in April of 15 counts, including bribery, after jurors found she acted as a conduit for her husband and Egyptian officials, relaying messages and arranging meetings.
I put my life in his hands and he strung me like a puppet, she told the judge, sobbing, before her sentencing on Thursday.
Her husband was convicted last year and sentenced to 11 years for the scheme that also led to his political downfall. Prosecutors had described her as indispensable to the plot.
On Thursday morning, Menendez wept as she addressed the judge, stating, I now know, he's not my saviour. He's not the man I thought he was, reflecting on her husband's influence and the illegal actions they undertook.
At the time of the scheme, Robert Menendez was the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a powerful role that gave him significant influence over US foreign policy. Prosecutors said the couple exploited his position to secretly aid the Egyptian government's interests in Washington. They had sought a sentence of at least seven years for Ms. Menendez.
District Judge Sidney H Stein instead sentenced her to 54 months, highlighting the need for consequences to deter similar crimes. She is scheduled to begin serving her sentence on July 10, 2025, allowing her to complete necessary medical procedures after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
A 2022 FBI search at their New Jersey home uncovered over $100,000 worth of gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash hidden in various locations. Evidence presented included messages between the couple and associates, as well as searches conducted by the senator about gold prices.
Co-conspirators Fred Daibes and Wael Hana were also convicted in relation to the scheme, and Jose Uribe, an insurance broker, pleaded guilty to related charges earlier this year.
Nadine Menendez, 58, was convicted in April of 15 counts, including bribery, after jurors found she acted as a conduit for her husband and Egyptian officials, relaying messages and arranging meetings.
I put my life in his hands and he strung me like a puppet, she told the judge, sobbing, before her sentencing on Thursday.
Her husband was convicted last year and sentenced to 11 years for the scheme that also led to his political downfall. Prosecutors had described her as indispensable to the plot.
On Thursday morning, Menendez wept as she addressed the judge, stating, I now know, he's not my saviour. He's not the man I thought he was, reflecting on her husband's influence and the illegal actions they undertook.
At the time of the scheme, Robert Menendez was the highest-ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a powerful role that gave him significant influence over US foreign policy. Prosecutors said the couple exploited his position to secretly aid the Egyptian government's interests in Washington. They had sought a sentence of at least seven years for Ms. Menendez.
District Judge Sidney H Stein instead sentenced her to 54 months, highlighting the need for consequences to deter similar crimes. She is scheduled to begin serving her sentence on July 10, 2025, allowing her to complete necessary medical procedures after being diagnosed with breast cancer.
A 2022 FBI search at their New Jersey home uncovered over $100,000 worth of gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash hidden in various locations. Evidence presented included messages between the couple and associates, as well as searches conducted by the senator about gold prices.
Co-conspirators Fred Daibes and Wael Hana were also convicted in relation to the scheme, and Jose Uribe, an insurance broker, pleaded guilty to related charges earlier this year.
