Disgraced former New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez began his 11-year prison sentence Tuesday at FCI Schuylkill, a federal facility in Pennsylvania. Nicknamed “Gold Bar Bob,” the 71-year-old Democrat was convicted in July on all 16 counts in a sweeping bribery scheme involving gold bars, cash, and luxury gifts.
Prosecutors said Menendez sold his influence to benefit three New Jersey businessmen and the governments of Egypt and Qatar. Despite pleas for leniency and claims of innocence, Menendez’s request for bail was denied by a federal appeals court last week. His wife, Nadine Menendez—also convicted—will begin serving her sentence in September. In 2022, the FBI found nearly $480,000 in cash and $150,000 in gold hidden in Menendez’s home, along with a luxury Mercedes. While his defense emphasized his immigrant roots and long political career, prosecutors argued Menendez betrayed public trust. Unless a pardon or commutation materializes from Donald Trump, whom Menendez reportedly approached, he will spend his “golden years” behind bars.
