Associate of Senator Bob Menendez pleads guilty to fresh bribery charges

Jose Uribe admits charges including conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services wire fraud, obstruction of justice and tax evasion

An associate of embattled New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez pleaded guilty to new bribery charges, changing his previous plea after facing a superseding indictment.

The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York charged Jose Uribe, a New Jersey insurance broker, with seven counts, including conspiracy to commit bribery, honest services wire fraud, obstruction of justice and tax evasion.

He pleaded guilty to all counts on 1 March, altering his previous not guilty plea.

Uribe had initially faced one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud in September, when he was indicted alongside the New Jersey senator, his wife and two other Menendez associates for allegedly committing a “years-long bribery scheme”.

His sentencing is scheduled for 14 June.

The superseding indictment alleges Uribe gave Nadine Menendez, the Senator’s wife, a Mercedes-Benz in exchange for Mr Menendez’s “official authority and influence” to help out Uribe’s associate in a criminal investigation in his home state.

Regarding the obstruction of justice charge, Uribe allegedly “caused his then-counsel to make false and misleading statements” the the US Attorney for the Southern District’s office regarding the car payments, saying they were loans “in an effort to interfere with a federal investigation.”

In support of the tax evasion charge, the indictment states that from 2016 through 2021, Uribe “established a network of business entities,” called Nominee Companies, in otheres’ names, received income through Nominee Companies, yet failed to report income received from it to the IRS.

Mr Menendez — and all the other co-defendants — have pleaded not guilty. He has been being charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.

He has also rejected repeated calls to resign from Congress. He did, however, step down from serving as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.