Who are Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana? Defendants named in Bob Menendez Scheme
Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana are the Defendants named in the Bob Menendez Scheme, but how much do you know about the entire indictment issue? Read on as we bring you details of that in this write but let us first know some few things about the Senator’s indictment.
What Happened to Bob Menendez?
Since late 2022, questions have been raised about whether Menendez or his wife accepted allowable gifts from an Edgewater, New Jersey, halal meat provider and whether an Egyptian firm received unwarranted favourable treatment.
Subpoenas unrelated to the latter firm were issued in May 2023 to North Bergen, New JerseyMayor Nicholas Sacco and others. Investigators found $480,000 in cash and more than $100,000 worth of gold bars at Menendez’s home.
On September 22, 2023, federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged five people, including Menendez and his wife Nadine, with corruption in a new indictment. Among the allegations in the indictment was that Menendez “provided sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt”.
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The 39-page indictment also alleges that Menendez used his position to pressure prosecutors in New Jersey who were involved in the cases of his friends Fred Daibes and Jose Uribe, in exchange for financial gifts from the businessmen.
According to the Senate Historical Office, Menendez is the first sitting senator to be indicted on two unrelated criminal matters. In the hours after the indictment, some fellow Democrats, including New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, called for Menendez to resign as senator. In response, Menendez said: “It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere.”
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Who is Jose Uribe?
Jose Uribe was the owner of the now-defunct Inter-America Insurance Agency, LLC. In 2011, he was charged with third-degree theft by deception for collecting automobile insurance premiums from clients but not sending the amount to the insurance carriers.Shortly after, he pleaded guilty and the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance revoked his insurance license.
Federal bribery charges against Senator Robert Menendez and his wife for a “corrupt relationship” with three New Jersey businessmen — Wael “Will” Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibe —were a surprise to nobody. We should all be disappointed but not in the crooked politicians…
— Lisa McCormick (She's one of Us!) (@LisaMcCormickNJ) September 22, 2023
Who is Fred Diabes?
Fred Daibes, a real estate developer who heads the development firm Daibes Enterprises in New Jersey, was reportedly a long-time associate of Bob Menedez. Prosecutors allege that Daibes, who was charged with taking part in an insider loan scam at Mariner’s Bank, reportedly asked Menedez to intervene in exchange for cash, furniture, and gold bars.The scheme reportedly included Bob Menedez recommending a candidate for U.S. Attorney in New Jersey whom the senator could influence.
According to NJ.com, in 2022, Daibes pleaded guilty to one count of concealing a $1.8 million bank loan made to him. In exchange, the government agreed to drop the remaining 13 counts and promised not to seek a prison term.
Meanwhile, the third defendant Wael Hana, who is originally from Egypt, is also alleged to have been operating a Halal meat certification company in Edgewater.
Hana was reportedly friends with Nadine Menendez for several years before she got married to Robert Menendez.
Nadine allegedly introduced Hana to her husband, who in turn introduced the senator to Egyptian intelligence and military officials. In exchange for bribes, the senator agreed to influence policies that would directly benefit Egypt.
