Two defendants accused of bribing former Sen. Bob Menendez with cash and gold bars have reported to federal prison.
Businessman Wael Hana and developer Fred Daibes surrendered to FCI Fairton in south New Jersey Monday morning.
Daibes and Hana were convicted along with Menendez in July on 16 counts. A third businessman, Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty and testified against his co-conspirators in the wide-ranging bribe scheme.
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WATCH HEREDaibes bribed the senator in part to try to get him to use his power to pressure the NJ US attorney to drop a separate bank fraud investigation into Diabes. Hana paid bribes to the senator in part for his help with the Egyptian government to secure a monopoly contract for halal meat exports.
The FBI found hundreds of thousands in cash, gold bars and a Mercedes convertible at the Menendez home in Englewood Cliffs, which they said were part of the pay-off scheme.
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SIGN UP In January, Judge Sidney Stein sentenced Hana to eight years in prison. Daibes was sentenced to seven years and ordered to pay a $1.7 million fine.
Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He is expected to surrender to FCI Schuylkill in Minersville, Pennsylvania, on June 17.
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His surrender was postponed 11 days so he could attend his stepdaughter’s wedding in Massachusetts.
Menendez’s wife, Nadine, was tried separately and was found guilty on all 15 counts of bribery and obstruction of justice in March. Her trial was delayed so she could undergo treatment for breast cancer.
She will be sentenced on September 11,, 2025. Cooperator Uribe will be sentenced on September 4, 2025.
