IRS - Internal Revenue Service
07/16/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/16/2024 19:55
Statement of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams on the convictions of U.S. Senator Robert Menendez and two New Jersey businessmen
Date: July 16, 2024
Contact:[email protected]
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: "Moments ago, a jury convicted Senator Robert Menendez of corruption offenses. This case has always been about shocking levels of corruption. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes, including gold, cash, and a Mercedes-Benz. This wasn't politics as usual; this was politics for profit. Because Senator Menendez has now been found guilty, his years of selling his office to the highest bidder have finally come to an end. Corruption isn't costless: it erodes public trust, and it undermines the rule of law. That's why we're so committed to fighting it, regardless of political party. I want to thank the career prosecutors and law enforcement agents who meticulously investigated and prosecuted this case. Their work brought this egregious corruption to light. They are the best of the best, and I am enormously proud to serve with them."
Robert Menendez of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey; Wael Hana of Edgewater, New Jersey, and originally of Egypt; and Fred Daibes of Edgewater, New Jersey, were convicted of the charges listed in the chart below.
The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by Judge Stein. Sentencing for Menendez, Hana, and Daibes has been scheduled for Oct. 29, 2024.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Williams also thanked the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) for its invaluable assistance on the investigation and the Department of Justice's National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section for its support of the case.
This case is being handled by the Office's Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli J. Mark, Paul Monteleoni, Lara Pomerantz, Daniel C. Richenthal, and Catherine Ghosh, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina Clark are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Connor Hamill, Rachel Wechsler, and Braden Florczyk.
| Count | Defendant(s) | Charge | Potential maximum prison term |
| 1 |
Menendez Hana Daibes |
Conspiracy to commit bribery | 5 years |
| 2 |
Menendez Hana Daibes |
Conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud | 20 years |
| 3 | Menendez | Conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right | 20 years |
| 4 |
Menendez Daibes |
Conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice | 5 years |
| 5 | Menendez | Bribery - actions to benefit Wael Hana and Egypt | 15 years |
| 6 |
Hana Daibes |
Bribery - actions to benefit Wael Hana and Egypt | 15 years |
| 7 |
Menendez Hana Daibes |
Honest services wire fraud - actions to benefit Wael Hana and Egypt | 20 years |
| 8 | Menendez | Extortion under color of official right - actions to benefit Wael Hana and Egypt | 20 years |
| 9 |
Menendez Hana |
Honest services wire fraud - actions to benefit Jose Uribe and Uribe's Associates | 20 years |
| 10 | Menendez | Extortion under color of official right - actions to benefit Jose Uribe and Uribe's Associates | 20 years |
| 11 | Menendez | Bribery - actions to benefit Fred Daibes and Qatar | 15 years |
| 12 | Daibes | Bribery - actions to benefit Fred Daibes and Qatar | 15 years |
| 13 |
Menendez Daibes |
Honest services wire fraud - actions to benefit Fred Daibes and Qatar | 20 years |
| 14 | Menendez | Extortion under color of official right - actions to benefit Fred Daibes and Qatar | 20 years |
| 15 |
Menendez Hana |
Conspiracy for a public official to act as a foreign agent | 5 years |
| 16 | Menendez | Public official acting as a foreign agent | 2 years |
| 17 | Menendez | Conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice | 5 years |
| 18 | Menendez | Obstruction of justice | 10 years |
CI is the criminal investigative arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money-laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a more than a 90 percent federal conviction rate. The agency has 20 field offices located across the U.S. and 12 attaché posts abroad.