In
Menendez Trial
Cooperator
Uribe Says He
Promised
Nadine a Car
If NJ
Investigation
Gone
by
Matthew Russell Lee
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
June 7 – Amid reports of
investigation against Sen.
Robert Menendez for taking
gold bars, Inner City Press'
sources on September 21 it to
expect on Friday, September 22
an appearance in Federal court
in Manhattan by Menendez and
his wife Nadine Arslanian. This
scoop
was true.
Later a
superseder was unveiled,
including charges of bribes to
act for Qatar...
On April 11, 2024
after Nadine Menendez and then
the government asked for
delay, to July or undefined,
Judge Stein severed her case
and reaffirmed May 6, Inner
City Press thread
On Sunday night
April 14 the US wrote in again
asking for a delay to July,
six page letter on Patreon here.
But Judge Stein
told the parties to confer and
report by April 16 at 1 pm.
Then he set an April 17
conference, which Inner City
Press live tweeted and dubbed
"Berate-gate," thread
On May 13, jury
selection began - but did not
finish. Abit later, Menendez
got into an car with FOP NJ
plates.
On May 14 jury
selection continued but was
not yet completed, from the
ending, thread
Late on May 14,
the US Attorney's Office filed
opposition to slides the
defense wants to use in its
opening arguments, including
quotes from Colin Powell and
MLK, and when Nadine came into
possession of gold - full
letter on Patreon here
Inner City Press
live tweeted jury selection
and then opening arguments here,
then filmed Bob's exit (he
said he thought it went well
and that his guy did great).
On May 21, the US
Attorney's Office put on Wael
Hana's lawyer, then a US State
Department official working on
Congressional approval (or
holds) on arms transfer to
Egypt, thread here.
On May 23, with
the trial in haitus, docketed
was Menendez' lawyers
opposition to quashing his
subpoena for Jose Uribe's
attorney proffer and
communications with SDNY
prosecutors, filing on Patreon
here
On May 29, Inner
City Press live tweeted,
omitting Morton's steakhouse
but including this
On May 30,
Menendez's lawyer's (long)
cross, including this.
On May 31,
starting 1 pm, the agent was
cross examined, and then USDA
Ted McKinney on direct, thread
After the
trial day, Inner City Press
filed Menendez' walk to his
Jersey-plated car; asked why
he called McKinney he said,
Wait for the cross
[examination].
Nadine Menendez
hired a new lawyer, who
previously represented Sydney
Powell among others. Then
this: "ORDER as to Nadine
Menendez: At the request of
the defendant and with the
consent of the government
[Doc. No. 434], the status
conference is adjourned from
June 10 to June 12 at 5 :00
p.m.(Signed by Judge Sidney H.
Stein on 6/3/2024)."
On June 4 Judge
Stein dockted a partially
redacted Order in which he
denied Menendez's request that
the prosecutors give him
impeachment material about a
Confidential Human Source they
are not going to call as a
witness - but Menendez said he
will.
On June 5, Inner
City Press live tweeted - and
afterward asked Menendez a
question. Thread.
On June 6, after
more cross of Agent Graves,
Gurbir Grewal testified, thread
On June 7, after
an FBI fingerprint expert,
cooperator Jose Uribe, Inner
City Press live tweeted, thread:
Jose Uribe. AUSA:
Have you pled guilty to
federal crimes? Uribe: Yes. To
bribing a Senator.
AUSA:
Through who? Uribe: His wife
Nadine. AUSA: Did you do it
with others? Uribe: With
others. There - can I stand? -
Will Hana. Judge: Witness has
IDed Mr. Hana Uribe: I
agree with Nadine to provide a
car to Nadine to get the power
and influence of Senator
Menendez, for positive
resolution for a colleague,
and to stop and kill
investigations
AUSA: Where did
you grow up? Uribe: Dominican
Republic. I came here at
18 AUSA: Where did you
move? Uribe: Union City, New
Jersey. AUSA: Are you a US
citizen? Uribe: I became one
in 1991. I went to Hudson
County Community College, and
worked in a factory.
AUSA: Then what?
Uribe: An insurance agency in
Union City. AUSA: How
did you start there? Uribe: I
was insuring my used car and
saw the place was busy so I
asked to work there. The first
month, he didn't pay me.
Judge: Why did you work for
free? Uribe: I fell in love
with the business. Later I got
my license.
Uribe: I lost my
license, then formed Phoenix
Risk Management. There, my son
Omar was the license holder. I
was the adviser and general
manager. AUSA: Who ran it?
Uribe: I did.... AUSA: Did you
have to leave the insurance
business under cooperation
agreement? Yes AUSA: Who
was being investigated?
Uribe: Elvis
Parra of E&K Trucking. And
the driver Bienvenido
Hernandez, who ran Prestige
Trucking Express. I consider
them almost brothers. AUSA:
What was the criminal
investigation? Uribe: Parra
pled guilty and got
probation AUSA: How did
you become aware of the
investigation? Uribe:
Subpoena. Then Detective
Lopez, she went to my
daughter's house on a
Saturday, very unpleasant, and
out to Seattle to speak with
my son Omar in the middle of a
law school class AUSA:
Did you get worried?
Uribe: As a
father you don't want your
children faced with an
investigation like this.... I
talked to Will Hana at Andy
Arslanian's office about it.
He said for $250,000 he could
make it go away. Through
Nadine and Senator
Menendez AUSA: Did you
tell anyone? Uribe: I told
Bien[venido] that my brother
Will said he has a way to get
a good resolution for Elvis'
sentencing and the
investigation, we should
listen to him- Judge: Who?
Uribe: Will Hana.
We met at a Marriott in
Teaneck. Uribe: At the
meeting Will mentioned Nadine.
AUSA: How did Bien and Elvis
Parra react? Uribe:
Positively. That if Elvis got
no jail time and the
investigations were killed
they would pay. Judge
Stein. Let's break.
They've
back. AUSA: Did you do a
fundraiser for Senator
Menendez? Uribe: I did. In a
private room in Villa Amalfi
in Cliffside Park on July 13,
2018.
AUSA: Did Bob
Menendez attend?
Uribe: Yes. He
said he was impressed by the
business people I
brought AUSA: How much
did you raise for Senator
Menendez at the fundraiser?
Uribe: $50,000 - I gave $5000
myself. We had an afterparty.
Nadine, Will, Mr. Menendez...
AUSA: Then what?
Uribe: Detective Lopez visited
my daughter. I was, I hate to
repeat the word,
f*cked. Uribe:
Then at another restaurant in
New Jersey, we met: Nadine,
Will, Senator Menendez and
myself. AUSA: How would you
describe Mr. Hana's behavior
with Menendez? Uribe: It
seemed like he wanted to suck
up to Senator
Menendez...
AUSA: Then what?
Uribe: Nadine complained to
me, the men in her life never
come through, that Will didn't
get her the car he promised.
AUSA: What did you say? Uribe:
I said I would provide a car
as soon as she helps me. She
acknowledged knowing part of
the deal Uribe: Nadine
said she know about E&K
Trucking. AUSA: Why did you
want to do a deal for a car?
Uribe: To protect my family. I
told her, I will stand by my
word, as long as she deliver
on her promise.
AUSA: What did
you write to Bien? Uribe: I
received good news
Judge: We'll break for the
week.
More on X for
Subscribers here
and Substack here
The case is US v.
Menendez, et al., 23-cr-490
(Stein)
More
on Substack here
***
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