New York — Nadine Mainndez, the wife of former American Senator Bob Menendez, was convicted on Monday, in cooperation with her husband, to accept bribes of cash or golden bars and a luxury car of three men in New Jersey looking for help in their commercial dealings or legal problems.
The jury restored its ruling in the same federal court in Manhattan, where a various jury condemned Bob Menendes from many charges last year. Democrat is supposed to start spending a 11 -year prison period in June.
The American Democratic Senator Bob Menendez from New Jersey, his wife, Nadine Mainndes, arrives at the Federal Court in New York, September 27, 2023.
AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, file
Evidence that showed allies on a three -week trial was followed by the timetable of romance between the spouses that started in early 2018 and continued after criminal charges against them in September 2023. Over and repeated during the trial, prosecutors said they were “crime partners.”
During the raid of 2022 on Cain’s Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Home and FBI, FBI agents found approximately $ 150,000 of gold bars and $ 480,000 cash stuffed in shoes, shoe boxes and jackets. In the garage the Mercedes -Benz was also convertible, also alleged bribery.
More | Prosecutor Nadine Mindez is depicted as a “crime partner” with her former, former convicted husband
Nadine and Bob Menendes said they were innocent and did not take any bribes.
Initially, they were supposed to be tried together, along with the three businessmen, but Nadine Mindez’s experience was postponed a year ago after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery.
Nadine Menendes arrives at a federal court in New York, on Monday, April 21, 2025.
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Bob Menendes, 71, resigned from the Senate last August after being convicted. Before the charges, he was the head of the Strong Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Public prosecutors accused Nadine Mindez of starting to facilitate bribes to Senator soon that they started dating, before they got married in the fall of 2020.
Related Former Senator Bob Mindez was sentenced to 11 years in prison for corruption
At the time, she was at risk of losing her home at English Cliffs, New Jersey, after she lost nearly $ 20,000 of mortgage payments. A long -term friend, Will Hana, presented money to save the house – the prosecutors said that, in return, Senator began helping Hana in maintaining the monopoly of the work that he arranged with the Egyptian government to believe that imported meat meets religious requirements.
Nadine Mainndes also needed a new car after her old car was destroyed when she was hit and killed a man crossing a street. (She did not face charges in the accident.) Prosecutors said that a businessman, Jose Orepe, gave her Mercedes -Benz, and in contrast to Bob Menendez used his influence to pressure the office of the Prosecutor in New Jersey to stop investigating some Urby partners.
The prosecutor said that more critical and golden bribes were paid to the couple by Farid Demp, a prominent real estate developer, the prosecutors said that the Senator wanted to protect him from a criminal case he was facing in New Jersey. Prosecutors said that Bob Menendes also helped secure an investment of $ 95 million from the Qatari Investment Fund.
Nadine Menendes, 58, was described by prosecutors in her trial as decisive in this plan, allowing Senator to communicate with businessmen and Egyptian government officials.
In addition to being convicted of bribery charges, Bob Menendes also convicted of acting as a client of the Egyptian government. Prosecutors said that in exchange for some bribes, he composed a letter to Egyptian officials to give his fellow members of the Senate to calm their concerns about human rights violations and encourage them to raise $ 300 million in military aid.
Nadine Mainndez’s lawyer, Barry Cuborn, argued during his closing arguments to the jury that the evidence was not enough to condemn.
“These things that we are talking about here are not proven,” he said.
He said that the transactions that Senator deals with with businessmen were just what the politician is supposed to do for his component.
In the argument of Disnah, American assistant Daniel Richanza urged the jury to condemn Nadine Mindez, describing the evidence against her “consistent and overwhelming.”
Urby acknowledged that he was guilty and witnessed against others. Hana and Dabies condemn along with Senator. Hannah was sentenced to eight years in prison, while Dempus got seven years behind bars.
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