New Jersey insurance broker Jose Uribe — an associate of Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) — pleaded guilty to seven charges on Friday, including bribery, obstruction of justice, and tax evasion. Uribe’s plea was preceded by a superseding indictment brought forth by the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Uribe had initially pleaded not guilty to the charges in September.
Federal prosecutors allege Uribe participated in a protracted bribery scheme alongside Sen. Menendez, Menendez’s wife Nadine, and two additional associates. Uribe is suspected of providing a Mercedes-Benz to Nadine Menendez as quid pro quo for the Senator’s influence in aiding a Uribe-related individual in a criminal investigation. Additionally, Uribe was accused of obstructing justice by instructing his then-legal counsel to deceive the U.S. Attorney’s office over the car payments, erroneously presenting them as loans in an attempt to block a federal investigation.
The indictment also alleges the Menendez associate engaged in tax evasion, stating Uribe formed a series of business entities known as Nominee Companies in other people’s names from 2016 through 2021. It is claimed that Uribe received income through these entities but failed to disclose these earnings to the IRS. His sentencing is slated for June 14th.
Despite the mounting charges against himself and his associates, Sen. Menendez has refused calls for resignation from Congress but has stepped down as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
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