Who is Wael Hana? Businessman charged in Robert Menendez case arrested at JFK. On September 26, Wael Hana, a 40-year-old New Jersey businessman and co-defendant in the Robert Menendez case, was apprehended at John F. Kennedy Airport. He is among the trio of businessmen facing federal charges for purportedly orchestrating significant sums of money in bribes to the Democratic Senator and his spouse. Hana was arrested upon arriving in New York from Egypt. According to Lawrence Lustberg, his attorney, Hana had “chosen to return voluntarily from Egypt with the aim of demonstrating his innocence, a task we are confident he will accomplish through a comprehensive and impartial trial.”
The businessman, hailing from Egypt originally, has been formally charged. As per the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, he has entered a plea of not guilty to both one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. Senator Menendez and his spouse, Nadine Menendez, are accused of purportedly receiving bribes in return for leveraging his authority and influence to safeguard and advance the interests of three businessmen, including Hana, while also benefiting the government of Egypt.
What Happened to Wael Hana?
The bribes encompassed various forms of payment, such as cash, gold bars, mortgage coverage, and monetary compensation. In June 2022, federal agents discovered over $480,000 in cash during a search of their residence. Menendez presided over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee but relinquished his position subsequent to his indictment, in accordance with the regulations of the Senate Democratic Caucus.
Per the prosecution’s allegations, Hana and Nadine Menendez endeavored to connect Senator Menendez with Egyptian intelligence and military officials, aiming to forge a “corrupt agreement” dating back to 2018. Additional accusations include Hana’s purported employment of Nadine Menendez at IS EG Halal Certified, a halal meat export certification firm, in a position with minimal or no actual responsibilities. According to the indictment, in return, the senator facilitated foreign military sales and financing to Egypt that had been previously withheld for an extended period.
Furthermore, Menendez is said to have intervened in support of Hana’s company monopoly in 2019, resulting in elevated expenses for U.S. meat suppliers and others, as outlined in the charging documents. Prosecutors contend that this monopoly subsequently generated a source of income used for the alleged bribes. A growing number of Senate Democrats, nearly twenty, have urged Bob Menendez to resign following his indictment. Menendez has thus far declined these requests, asserting his belief in eventual exoneration.
In the event of a conviction, Wael Hana could potentially receive a maximum prison term of five years for the bribery charge and up to twenty years for the fraud charge.
The two additional businessmen hailing from New Jersey, Jose Uribe, aged 56, and Fred Daibes, aged 66, are confronted with identical charges to those facing Hana.
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