In
Menendez Trial
Cooperator
Uribe
Describes
Brick of Cash
Hana Counsel
Tries to
Distance
by
Matthew Russell Lee
SDNY COURTHOUSE,
June 10 – 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
On June 10, Uribe
finished his direct
examination around 4 pm, then
counsel for Hana, not yet
Menendez, began cross
examination, thread:
Assistant US
Attorney: What did you write
to Nadine? Uribe: I have to
meet with you. I am worried,
nothing is happening. AUSA:
What did you mean by that?
Uribe: The
investigation was not being
stopped, nor on the case of
Elvis Parra. I wrote, Please
get your car Uribe: Will
[Hana] is the one who promised
her a car, but I am the one
who provided it. AUSA: What
did you write? Uribe: LOL,
Lord Oh Lord, go get your car.
AUSA: What did she write?
Uribe: That Leo at Ray Catena
[Mercedes dealer] said the car
was sold AUSA:
What were you asking for?
Uribe: I asked Bien[venido]
Hernandez [of Prestige
Trucking] for $15,000, since
Will hadn't paid. AUSA: Did
Bien give you $15,000 in cash?
Uribe: No. AUSA: Did you tell
Will about the $15,000? Uribe:
Yes. AUSA: Here's lines 19-20
AUSA:
Nadine texts you, You make
dreams come true, I will
always remember that. When do
you think she meant? Uribe:
She will comply with her part
of the deal, hopefully. AUSA:
Then what? Uribe: She wrote,
we'll all have a great 2019.
Meaning, she'll comply
Uribe: Then Nadine was trying
to set up my meeting with
Senator Menendez, over cigars
and a drink. I said, he
probably have a thousand
things to do, we can pick
another day. AUSA: Why did you
write that? Uribe: I didn't
want her to feel no
pressure Uribe: I wrote,
Thank our friend. AUSA:
Meaning who? Uribe: Senator
Menendez.
AUSA: Here
Nadine texted you about "Part
2" - what do you think she
meant? Uribe: The
investigation into Bien
Hernandez. AUSA: Where did you
meet? Uribe: Sophia's
restaurant in NJ
AUSA: Did Nadine complaint to
you about Hana not delivering
on anything else but the car?
Uribe: That he didn't give her
a job at his meat company.
AUSA: What did
Will tell you if anyone was
going to help with his meat
business? Uribe: Nadine and
Senator Menendez. AUSA:
Did Nadine help you about Will
not helping with mortgage
payments? Uribe: Yes. She was
about to lose her home. She
was very worried. She asked me
to tell Wael to pay her
mortgage by Monday
morning.... AUSA: Here
what did Nadine write to you?
Uribe: That she
wanted to meet to get
information to resolve Part 2,
that "this stands always, not
only Part 2 but for a
lifetime, I will not forget
what a true friend you are."
She will be there for
me. AUSA: Did Will
complain to you about Nadine?
Uribe: Yes. That she only
cares about money. Judge:
Let's break.
They're
back AUSA: Did you find that
Elvis and Bien paid Will?
Uribe: Yes. I was angry - I
had set up the deal. AUSA:
What did Will tell you about
getting $125,000 from them?
Uribe: He confirmed it, at
Ventanas Restaurant. Will
wanted to set up a trucking
company
Uribe:
There was a brick of cash,
$25,000. I told Will, I'm
going to take it, I'm paying
for Nadine's car. He said,
Take it brother. AUSA: Then
what? Uribe: Detective Lopez
wanted to interview Ana. I
reached out to Nadine
immediately, for her to tell
the Senator Uribe:
Nadine told me that the
Senator told her, It would
have been so so easy if we had
wrapped both together. AUSA:
What did you understand by
that? Uribe: If the Senator
had knowledge of Part 1 and
Part 2 from the very
beginning, just like Elvis got
probation AUSA: Did you
have an understanding if
Senator Menendez had done
anything on behalf of Elvis?
Menendez' lawyer:
Objection! Lack of foundation.
Judge: Sustained. AUSA: He
didn't ask you questions about
who Elvis Parra or E&K
Trucking was, correct? Uribe:
Correct. AUSA: What did
you explain to him? Uribe:
That I was worried that the
authorities were handling an
investigation that could reach
to my daughter. I asked, Don't
let these people hurt my
daughter.
AUSA: What did
Robert Menendez say? Uribe: He
would look into it AUSA:
Who paid for the dinner?
Uribe: I did. AUSA: What was
your understanding of the
status? Uribe: Elvis got a
good resolution and I was
close to getting peace for my
family. AUSA: Did you tell
Robert Menendez you were
paying for Nadine car? Uribe:
No. He knew
Menendez's
lawyer: Objection!
Judge (to
Uribe) Why did you think Mr.
Menendez knew?
Uribe: They kept
trying to set up by the
meeting with me, the only
reason was payments I was
making. AUSA: Did Nadine ever
tell you what to say and not
say to Menendez? Uribe:
No Uribe: I texted
Fernando, "el primo got a call
about a late payment." I
mistyped it, masculine, primo.
Judge: If you wrote el prima
it would be right? Uribe: La
prima, it should have been. I
told Fernando to pay with my
card from Frank & Sons
Logistics. Judge:
Ok, let's break
Back. AUSA:
Who paid the bill at Segovia's
restaurant with Senator
Menendez, Nadine and her
daugther? Uribe: I did. AUSA:
These text messages, directing
your attention to Row 3, can
you read it, August 8, 2020?
Uribe: Segovia is very
private, I would love to
meet AUSA: Here, Nadine
texts you, Are you free for
dinner - what did you say?
Uribe: That I am
busy, but open. She said Bob
made a reservation 7:30. I
said, On my way. AUSA: And
this? Uribe: Nadine says
Sabine thanks her tip - she
meant tio, uncle, I am her
uncle. AUSA: When did
you become aware of a Federal
investigation involving you?
Uribe: 2022 - the FBI took my
cell phone, subpoenaed me to
grand jury.
AUSA: Publish GX
11e1, the subpoena, June 16,
2022, for all records about
payments to Senator or Nadine
Menendez AUSA: What
next? Uribe: Nadine wanted to
meet with me. We met at the
Glenpointe Marriott. I told
her, They went to my house,
gave me a bunch of subpoenas.
She said, Hermano, I get sick
every time I look at papers.
She said she lost her cell
phone at Grand Central
Uribe: She asked
me how I would explain paying
for her car. AUSA: What did
you say? Uribe: That I'd say
she was a friend and that I
help until she could pay me
back. AUSA: Had you ever
discussed it as a loan? Uribe:
Never. AUSA: Was it a loan?
Uribe: It was not
Judge Stein: We'll break here
They've back:
AUSA: Between the FBI
subpoena-ing you and your
indictment in September 2023,
did you meet with prosecutors?
Uribe: Once.
About my failure to file
taxes. AUSA: Did you decide to
cooperate? Uribe: No.
AUSA: Later did you decide to
cooperate? Uribe: Yes, hoping
to get a better sentence.
AUSA: How many times have we
met with prosecutors? Uribe:
10 to 15 times. FBI was there
sometimes too. AUSA: Did you
plead guilty? Uribe: Yes,
under a cooperation
agreement.
Uribe: I pled
guilty to using a fake tax
return to get a loan from
Santander bank, too. Also an
SBA loan.... AUSA: With the
other crimes, what is the
maximum sentence you could
receive? Uribe: 95 years. I am
hoping for no
incarceration. AUSA:
What do you have to do? Uribe:
Tell the truth. AUSA: No
further questions.
Cross
examination. Hana's lawyer: In
your allocution did you state
anything about a cash payment
to Mr. Hana? Uribe: I cannot
answer yes or no as Mr. Hana
is part for the deal
Hana's lawyer: You didn't have
any details, right?
Uribe: Not step
by step. Hana's lawyer: So you
didn't deal with Hana, you
went to Nadine, right? Uribe:
I can't say the timing. Hana's
lawyer: You lost hope in Will,
right? Uribe: Correct.
Hana's lawyer: I could break
here. Judge: Let's break,
then.
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
***
Your
support means a lot. As little as $5 a month
helps keep us going and grants you access to
exclusive bonus material on our Patreon
page. Click
here to become a patron.
Feedback:
Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
SDNY Press Room 480, front cubicle
500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA
Mail: Box 20047, Dag
Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017
Reporter's mobile (and weekends):
718-716-3540
Other, earlier Inner City Press are
listed here,
and some are available in the ProQuest
service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.
Copyright 2006-2024 Inner City
Press, Inc. To request reprint or other
permission, e-contact Editorial [at]
innercitypress.com
|