A judge on Wednesday sentenced a powerful former American senator to 11 -year prison when he was convicted of corruption after searching gold bars and hundreds of dollars in cash at his house.
71 -year -old Democrat Robert Menandez of New Jersey was convicted of forcibly recovery, obstructing justice and accepting bribes for traders with Egypt and Qatar connections. He said that he would appeal.
“Somewhere on the way … you lost your way,” District Judge Sydney Stein said while announcing the sentence. “Working for the public became to work for your good.”
Menandez, who served as the chairman of the impressive Senate Foreign Relations Committee, vowed to appeal the decision submitted in July 2024, and on Wednesday sought generosity from the judge before his sentence.
“I am going to ask you for mercy – not for me, but for Anthony,” a weeping menndege said, referring to your son who has autism.
Next to the sentence, the court received letters from the acquaintances of Menandez, who testified to their character.
“Bob inspired many people including me, with hope that it is possible to change the world,” said, author Donald Scarvesany.
Manandez’s Attorney Adam Fee stated that “despite the decades of his service, he is now more widely known as ‘Gold Bar Bob’.”
The jury -discussion was convicted after three days after the discourse, Menandez was convicted, including bribery and conspiracy to work as a foreign agent as a public officer.
– ‘Egoistic abuse’ –
Menandez said outside the court after his sentence last year: “I have never been anything other than the patriot of my country and my country. I have never been a foreign agent at any time.”
On Wednesday, he vowed to appeal and called his prosecution a “witch victim”.
“President (Donald) Trump is correct. This process is political and it is contaminated to the core. I hope President Trump cleans Sespool and restore integrity for the system,” he said.
He was not immediately detained after hearing.
In a raid at Menandez’s New Jersey house, FBI agents received around $ 500,000 in cash of about $ 500,000, as well as about $ 150,000 and a luxury Mercedes-Benz Convertible.
His wife Nadin Menandez, from whom defense lawyers demanded transfer of defects, were charged, but faced separate tests to get treatment for breast cancer.
Menandez was convicted with two businessmen he helped-Miss-American Well Hana and Fred Debs, a real estate developer. He was sentenced to jail on Wednesday.
A third businessman, insurance broker Jose Urbe convicted and assisted the investigators in March for bribery allegations.
Menandez is said to have intervened in a bid in the enrollment of the New Jersey prosecutor to ensure that the proceedings against Daibes and Uribe were removed.
They are also accused of accepting bribery to use their power and impact to enrich their co-ancients and are benefited to the Egyptian government, in which Hana is on American exports of halal food products to Hana to the country Helping to protect your monopoly involves.
The prosecutors sought a 15 -year jail, while Menandez’s rescue did not demand more than eight years behind bars.
Prosecutor Daniel Sasoon said in a statement, “As a result of the sentences made today, there is a result of an abuse of power at the highest level.”
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