Amid an investigation into Sen. Bob Menedez’s (D-NJ) unscrupulous practices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently discovered at least four gold bars in the New Jersey lawmaker’s home were associated with a 2013 armed robbery report made by businessman Fred Daibes, who is currently serving as a defendant in a bribery case involving Menendez.
In 2013, Daibes asked police to retrieve 22 gold bars and $500,000 that had been allegedly stolen from him during an armed robbery. After law enforcement discovered four individuals with the stolen items, Daibes signed “property release forms” indicating that he was the legitimate owner of the lucrative bars and funds.
“Each gold bar has its own serial number,” the businessman told authorities in 2013. “They’re all stamped…you’ll never see two stamped the same way.”
A bribery indictment of Menendez, Daibes and two other businessmen included photographs of the four gold bars discovered at the New Jersey congressman’s residence. The photographs appeared to show that the bars matched the ones Daibes had said were stolen from him in 2013.
SHOCK REPORT: ⚠️ Gold bars discovered in Sen. Bob Menendez’s home linked to 2013 armed robbery..
According to a report, four gold bars discovered in the residence of Senator Bob Menendez were previously stolen from businessman Fred Daibes, who is alleged to have bribed the New… pic.twitter.com/ohCG2MvwKr
— Chuck Callesto (@ChuckCallesto) December 5, 2023
FBI agents seized over $100,000 in gold bars during the agency’s raid of Menedez’s home. The bribery indictment against Menendez states that Daibes had provided the New Jersey senator’s wife, Nadine Menendez, with gold bars as well. Prosecutors said Daibes gave Nadine two gold bars worth $60,000 each in March 2022.
The FBI’s raid led to the discovery of 13 gold bars and $556,000 in possession of the Menendez family.
“All of this spells bad news for Sen. Menendez, because the chain of custody — it appears — is going to be easy to prove up,” a legal analyst for NBC News, Danny Cevallos, said.
Menedez’s tenure in Congress could come to an end since he was charged with conspiracy to act as a foreign agent of the Egyptian government. The New Jersey congressman also faces charges relating to fraud, bribery, and extortion. He has maintained his innocence in the matter, having pleaded not guilty to all charges, along with his wife and other co-conspirators.
Despite calls from Democrats for him to resign, the New Jersey congressman has refused to do so.
