A New Jersey businessman pleaded guilty Friday to trying to bribe U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and agreed to a deal with prosecutors that would require him to testify in a corruption case against the powerful Democrat and his wife.
Jose Uribe of Clifton, New Jersey, entered a plea in Manhattan federal court to seven charges, including conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services wire fraud, obstruction of justice and tax evasion from 2018 to 2023. Prosecutors allege he gave Menendez’s wife a Mercedes.
Under the plea agreement, Uribe could face up to 95 years in prison, but he can win leniency by cooperating and testifying against other defendants, which he has agreed to do. He also agreed to forfeit $246,000 in proceeds traceable to his criminal conduct.
Uribe is one of three businessmen charged in the corruption case against Menéndez and his wife, Nadine Menéndez, which came to light last fall.
Authorities said the couple accepted bribes in cash, gold bars and luxury cars in exchange for his help and influence on foreign affairs.
The defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Uribe entered his plea in the proceedings before Judge Sidney H. Stein on Friday but did not inform the media in time for reporters to attend. He was free on $1 million bail at the time of his arrest. His plea agreement, signed Thursday, was signed Friday.
Uribe is accused of providing a Mercedes-Benz convertible to Nadine Menendez after the senator called government officials regarding a separate case involving Uribe’s associates.
Uribe’s attorney, Daniel Fetterman, declined to comment.
Menendez, his wife and two other New Jersey businessmen are scheduled to go to trial in May.
Federal prosecutors allege that Menendez, the former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, used his position to take actions that benefited foreign governments in exchange for bribes from colleagues in New Jersey.
Menendez is also accused of helping another New Jersey business associate secure a lucrative deal with the Egyptian government.
In exchange for bribes, prosecutors said, Menendez did things to benefit Egypt, including ghostwriting a letter to other senators encouraging them to lift a hold on $300 million in aid.
Menendez is also accused of using his international influence to help friends secure multimillion-dollar deals with the Qatar Investment Fund, including taking actions that would benefit the Qatari government.
Lawyers for Menendez and his wife had no immediate comment.
Follow us on Google news ,Twitter , and Join Whatsapp Group of thelocalreport.in
