World Courant
New photographs admitted as proof within the U.S. v. Menendez trial make clear discoveries made by federal brokers throughout their raid of the New Jersey senator’s residence.
Almost $500,000 in money and $150,000 in gold bars have been strategically hid all through his cluttered New Jersey residence, together with a hefty stack of payments crammed inside a Timberland boot.
This week, jurors have been offered with quite a few pictures capturing scenes contained in the Englewood Cliffs residence the place the Democratic senator and his spouse, Nadine, stay. Nadine’s trial was delayed till July whereas she undergoes remedy for breast most cancers.
Images confirmed money stuffed inside designer baggage and footwear, gold bars, a number of cell telephones, jewellery, a cluttered closet full of clothes and different objects and a Mercedes-Benz that was allegedly one of many bribes given to the couple.
JURY PICKED, OPENING STATEMENTS BEGIN IN US V. MENENDEZ: ‘USE YOUR GOOD JUDGMENT’
A wad of money the FBI present in a Timberland work boot in Menendez’s residence. (Authorities Exhibit, U.S. v. Menendez)
The “sheer quantity of payments” discovered posed a problem for brokers, prompting Particular Agent Aristotelis Kougemitros to request help, he mentioned throughout Thursday’s testimony. The duty of manually tallying the $486,461 in payments proved daunting, necessitating the dispatch of two cash-counting machines from the FBI’s Manhattan workplace.
“I used to be directed that if I seized the money, that I wanted to rely it in place,” Kougemitros mentioned. “So, I referred to as in reinforcements.”
Kougemitros mentioned the town introduced within the cash-counting machines and “with all of the money that we began discovering, we counted all of it.”
US V. MENENDEZ: DEM SENATOR’S CORRUPTION TRIAL KICKS OFF WITH SURPRISING DELAY
Greater than $600,000 in money was discovered stashed across the New Jersey senator’s residence. (Authorities Exhibit, U.S. v. Menendez)
In alternate for the money, gold bars and different luxurious items, Menendez allegedly used his energy as senator to profit the governments of Qatar and Egypt and provides enterprise favors to a few New Jersey businessmen — Wael Hana, Fred Daibes and Jose Uribe, co-defendants within the trial.
All have pleaded not responsible besides Uribe, who agreed to cooperate with authorities and testify on the trial.
That is the second time in a decade Menendez has been accused in a federal corruption case.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Jamie Joseph is a author who covers politics. She leads Fox Information Digital protection of the Senate.
High moments from US v. Menendez reveal wads of money stashed round New Jersey residence: PHOTOS
World Information,Subsequent Large Factor in Public Knowledg
