The home of a New Jersey Democrat accused of accepting bribes and using his power as an elected official to benefit the Egyptian government was raided and more than $600,000 in cash and gold was recovered. It was discovered that there were bars in storage.
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and his wife Nadine Menendez used the senator’s power and influence to “protect and enrich” three New Jersey businessmen and took bribes. They were each indicted in September 2023 on three federal charges for allegedly committing crimes. According to the indictment, “benefiting the Arab Republic of Egypt” in of New York Times.
The three are Wael Hana, Fred Duives and Jose Uribe.
Menendez was indicted in January on additional charges of accepting bribes from the Qatari royal family in exchange for speaking highly of Qatar. Menendez was allegedly given valuables, including a luxury watch, in exchange for making positive comments about Qatar.
Jurors attending the trial, which began on May 13, reportedly handed out plastic bags containing gold bars. according to NJ.com.
Jurors were also given a virtual tour of the couple’s home through photos taken when FBI agents searched the property in June 2022.
The newspaper said the gold bars were hidden in various locations throughout the house, including a closet, a “designer bag” and “Timberland boots.”
FBI Special Agent Aristotelis Kougemitros informed the jury during the trial that he “called in reinforcements” to help count the cash and gold bars. With the help of a cash counting machine, FBI agents discovered $486,461 in cash and 13 gold bars. report Be worth more than $150,000.
“More than $480,000 in cash (much of it stuffed in envelopes and hidden in clothing, closets and safes) was found in her home, and more than $70,000 was found in Nadine Menendez’s safe deposit box. “,” the indictment states.
Menendez has pleaded not guilty to the bribery charges.
MSNBC columnist, former FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Frank Figliuzzi I have written He said in an editorial on Tuesday:
The price of gold has increased by 15% in the past three months. That’s partly due to inflation concerns, but perhaps even more so due to concerns about ongoing military conflicts and terrorism. Gold bars can usually be purchased directly from professional dealers or online. Investment grade gold bars come in a variety of sizes and weights, but must be at least 99.5% pure gold. Bars are produced by government or private refineries and are considered a safe haven, low-risk investment that operates outside the monetary system. There is no central bank that controls the supply and demand of gold; the price is determined by the open market. Therefore, gold becomes a commodity without borders.
Dives and Hana have also pleaded not guilty, but NJ.com reported that Uribe admitted to helping Menendez’s wife buy a Mercedes-Benz to enlist his help in “defeating an unrelated state criminal investigation involving the commercial interests” of the New Jersey senator.
