Police Found Cash, Gold Bars in Bob Menendez’s Home

(USNewsBreak.com) – A scandal has embroiled Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) for the second time in his career. He is facing 16 felony counts and many years behind bars if a jury convicts him. Menendez’s trial recently began after the court seated jurors. Prosecutors showed the jury some of the photos taken by FBI officials during a 2022 raid on his Englewood Cliffs home.

Among the evidence, a slew of photos showed exactly what authorities found in Menendez’s home. The pictures included several stacks of cash — purported to be around $480,000 — including some hidden in a Timberland boot. Investigators reported finding other piles of money stashed randomly throughout the house, including inside purses and clothing pockets in items hung in the closet.

Sen. Bob Menendez’s cluttered home loaded with gold bars, wad of cash stashed in boot: new photos https://t.co/LpWHIbeTm9 pic.twitter.com/qrbk6qgYEG

— New York Post (@nypost) May 21, 2024

Special Agent Aristotelis Kougemitros said his supervisors told him he would have to “count it in place” to document the cash seizure. So, he called in reinforcements to do just that. There were so many bills in denominations of $20, $50, and $100 that the Manhattan FBI office sent cash-counting machines.

Federal agents documented another astonishing find in Menendez’s home: Gold bars. Pictures showed all 13 that authorities seized during the raid. They were worth $150,000.

These photographs are at the heart of the government’s case, putting Menendez on trial for bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit extortion, failing to register as an agent of foreign power, and obstruction.

Justice Department prosecutors charged Menendez alongside his wife, Nadine Menendez, and three businessmen, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes. Uribe was the only one of the three to plead guilty. He is currently cooperating with federal authorities. The New Jersey senator, Daibes, and Hana are all on trial together.

Nadine Menendez will face trial later this summer, with a July start date. The court postponed her trial to allow her to receive medical treatment and have enough time to recover. Mr. Menendez’s attorneys are trying to pin the blame on Nadine, saying that the senator was unaware.