Introduction to the Case
A New Jersey businessman who testified against former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife at separate bribery trials won’t go to prison, after a judge credited him at his sentencing Thursday for showing honesty on the witness stand and sincere remorse.
The Sentencing
Jose Uribe was sentenced in Manhattan federal court by Judge Sidney H. Stein, who said he played a crucial role in the convictions “in a major conspiracy involving other countries and corruption of the highest order.”
Menendez, 71, resigned from the Senate after his conviction last year on 16 charges, including having acted as a foreign agent for Egypt. He is serving an 11-year prison sentence. His wife, Nadine Menendez, was sentenced last month to 4½ years in prison.
The Bribery Scheme
Their trials featured testimony about hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold bars, cash and a Mercedes-Benz convertible that were paid in bribes to the couple by three New Jersey businessmen, including Uribe, in return for actions by the senator on their behalf.
The Judge’s Decision
“I’m not going to incarcerate you. I think you’re extremely remorseful,” Stein said of Uribe, who was the government’s star witness at the Menendez trials.
He ordered Uribe to serve six months of home detention, though he can leave home for work, education or religious reasons. The judge also ordered Uribe to forfeit $292,000 and pay $866,000 in restitution.
The Co-Conspirators
Two businessmen, Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, were also convicted in the bribery scheme. Daibes, a real estate developer, was sentenced this year to seven years in prison, while Hana, an entrepreneur, received an eight-year sentence.
The Testimony
At trial, Uribe testified that he provided a $15,000 down payment in 2019 for the Mercedes and arranged monthly car payments from 2019 to 2022 in return for the senator’s help in shielding his company from New Jersey criminal probes of another trucking company.
Uribe apologized for his “terrible” crimes, saying he was "sorry and embarrassed." He became choked up as he apologized to his family.
“I will never violate the law again,” he told Stein.
The Prosecutor’s Statement
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz called Uribe’s cooperation brave and valuable, noting that it was “not everyday a cooperator testifies at the trial of a sitting U.S. senator.”
She said it was “easy to imagine why people were not lining up to testify,” since everyone knew that he was a particularly powerful senator who was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when he was criminally charged in the fall of 2023. Menendez was forced from the position soon afterward.
She called the criminal probe that preceded the trials a “long-running investigation of rare and historic gravity,” and said some of the criminal conduct would have gone unknown without Uribe’s help.
The Defense Attorney’s Statement
Defense attorney Daniel Fetterman said his client was “actually harassed” as a result of his cooperation, citing a day in April 2024 when two strangers approached his wife outside a bank and asked inappropriate questions.
“That was terrifying for him and his wife,” he said, though he noted that Uribe’s cooperation continued unabated.
Recent Developments
A federal judge handed down the sentence for Nadine Menendez, the wife of former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, who was ordered to serve more than four years in prison for bribery. The couple’s marital issues aired in open court, as she blamed him during the sentencing, but then seemed to change her tune outside court. NBC New York’s Jonathan Dienst reports.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the case of Jose Uribe and the bribery scheme involving former Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife has come to a close. Uribe’s cooperation and remorse have earned him a sentence of home detention, while the Menendezes will serve prison time for their roles in the corruption.
FAQs
Q: Who is Jose Uribe and what was his role in the bribery scheme?
A: Jose Uribe is a New Jersey businessman who testified against former Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife at separate bribery trials. He was a key witness in the case and provided evidence of the bribes paid to the Menendezes.
Q: What was the sentence handed down to Jose Uribe?
A: Uribe was sentenced to six months of home detention, and ordered to forfeit $292,000 and pay $866,000 in restitution.
Q: What were the charges against former Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife?
A: Menendez was convicted of 16 charges, including acting as a foreign agent for Egypt, and his wife was convicted of bribery.
Q: How long will the Menendezes serve in prison?
A: Bob Menendez is serving an 11-year prison sentence, while his wife Nadine will serve 4½ years in prison.
