United States of America v. Robert Menendez; Wael Hana; Fred Daibes

New York, New York criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendants charged with Bribery, Foreign Agent, And Obstruction Offenses

Former U.S. Senator Robert Menendez Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison For Bribery, Foreign Agent, And Obstruction Offenses

Danielle R. Sassoon, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that former U.S. Senator ROBERT MENENDEZ, WAEL HANA, a/k/a "Will Hana,” and FRED DAIBES, were sentenced to 11 years, more than eight years, and seven years in prison, respectively, for bribery, foreign agent, and obstruction of justice offenses. MENENDEZ, HANA, and DAIBES were convicted on July 16, 2024, following a nine-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein, who imposed today's sentences.



U.S. Attorney Danielle R. Sassoon said: "The sentences imposed today result from an egregious abuse of power at the highest levels of the Legislative Branch of the federal government. Robert Menendez was trusted to represent the United States and the State of New Jersey, but instead he used his position to help his co-conspirators and a foreign government, in exchange for bribes like cash, gold, and a luxury car. The sentences imposed today send a clear message that attempts at any level of government to corrupt the nation's foreign policy and the rule of law will be met with just punishment.”



According to the Superseding Indictment ("Indictment”), the evidence at trial, and public filings:[1]



MENENDEZ, at the time the Indictment was unsealed, was the senior U.S. Senator from New Jersey and the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ("SFRC”). Shortly after MENENDEZ began dating his now-wife Nadine Menendez, then known as Nadine Arslanian ("Nadine Menendez”), in 2018, Nadine introduced MENENDEZ to her long-time friend HANA, who is originally from Egypt. HANA lived in New Jersey, and maintained close connections with Egyptian officials. HANA was also a business associate of DAIBES, a New Jersey real estate developer and long-time donor to MENENDEZ, and Jose Uribe, who worked in the New Jersey insurance and trucking business.



Between 2018 and 2022, MENENDEZ and Nadine Menendez agreed to and did accept hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of bribes from HANA, DAIBES, and Uribe. These bribes included gold, cash, a luxury convertible, payments toward Nadine Menendez's home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job for Nadine Menendez, home furnishings, and other things of value. In June 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI”) executed a court-authorized search warrant at the New Jersey home of MENENDEZ and Nadine Menendez. During that search, the FBI found many of the fruits of this bribery scheme. Over $480,000 in cash — much of it stuffed into envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets, and a safe — was discovered in the home. Some of the envelopes contained the fingerprints of MENENDEZ or DAIBES. Agents also found home furnishings provided by HANA and DAIBES, the luxury vehicle paid for by Uribe parked in the garage, as well as over one hundred thousand dollars' worth of gold bars in the home, which were provided by either HANA or DAIBES.



In exchange for these and other things of value, MENENDEZ agreed and promised to use his power and influence as a Senator to seek to protect HANA's, Uribe's, and DAIBES's interests and to benefit foreign countries. Through this corrupt relationship, MENENDEZ agreed to take a series of official acts. First, MENENDEZ took actions to benefit the Government of Egypt and HANA, including by improperly seeking to pressure an official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture ("USDA”) in an attempt to protect a business monopoly granted to HANA by Egypt, and by secretly representing the interests of Egypt by, among other things, ghostwriting a letter for Egypt to be provided to his own Senate colleagues and providing non-public information and assistance to Egypt. Second, MENENDEZ took actions seeking to disrupt a criminal investigation undertaken by the Office of the New Jersey Attorney General ("NJAG”) related to Uribe and his associates. Third, MENENDEZ recommended that the President nominate a U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey whom MENENDEZ believed he could influence to disrupt a federal criminal prosecution undertaken by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey ("USAO-DNJ”) of DAIBES, and took actions to assist DAIBES by acting for the benefit of the Government of Qatar. Finally, MENENDEZ conspired and endeavored to obstruct justice in connection with the federal investigation into this scheme.