Who is Jose Uribe? What we know about the defendants named in Bob Menendez indictment over bribery scheme

Bob Menendez, the New Jersey senator accused of trading political favors to help three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for bribes, was indicted on charges with three alleged crimes, including a bribery conspiracy. The indictment also included charges against his wife, Nadine Menendez, and three co-defendants described as New Jersey associates and businessmen, Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes.

The indictment accused the senator, 69, and his wife, 56, of accepting bribes in exchange for granting political favors to help the three New Jersey businessmen and the country of Egypt.

Bob Menendez has served as a top-ranking Democrat on the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the last five years. In this role, he has had immense influence over US foreign policy, including in countries such as Russia, China, and the Middle East.

All five defendants face counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest service fraud. Furthermore, the couple was additionally charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under the color of official right.

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Jose Uribe is a former insurance agent from Union City and an associate of Bob Menendez

According to an indictment unsealed on Friday, September 22, Senator Bob Menendez, who has represented New Jersey in Congress since 2006, was accused of trading political favors to help three New Jersey businessmen.

The indictment stated that Menedez, alongside his second wife Nadine, conspired to accept bribes in exchange for wielding his influence on foreign policies that benefited his associates.

One of the defendants named in the indictment, Jose Uribe, 56, is a former insurance agent from Union City and Hana’s business associate who was introduced to the senator by the other co-defendant in the case Wael Hana.

Prosecutors alleged that Uribe asked the senator to intervene in the state attorney general’s prosecution of one of his colleagues for insurance fraud. In exchange, Uribe gave the senator's wife Nadine $15,000 in cash, which she used to make a down payment on a Mercedes-Benz C-class convertible. Prosecutors revealed that Nadine, then texted her husband, “Congratulations mon amour de la vie, we are the proud owners of a 2019 Mercedes.”

Uribe was the owner of the now-defunct Inter-America Insurance Agency, LLC. In 2011, he was charged with third-degree theft by deception for collecting automobile insurance premiums from clients but not sending the amount to the insurance carriers.

Shortly after, he pleaded guilty and the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance revoked his insurance license.

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What we know about the other two defendants named in the Bob Menendez indictment

Wael Hana, Nadine and Bob Menendez (Image via Clash Report/X)

Wael Hana, who is originally from Egypt, operates a Halal meat certification company in Edgewater. Hana was reportedly friends with Nadine Menendez for years before she married Senator.

Nadine allegedly introduced Hana to her husband, who in turn introduced the senator to Egyptian intelligence and military officials. In exchange for bribes, the senator agreed to influence policies that would directly benefit Egypt.

The senator was also accused of pressuring an official at the US Department of Agriculture to stop opposing Hana’s monopoly as the sole halal meat exporter to Egypt, despite his company having no previous experience in the field.

NJ.com reported that Hana, who is currently in Egypt, will voluntarily return to the US for his arraignment on Wednesday, September 27.

Fred Diabes (Image via StoriesFlow.com/X)

Meanwhile, Fred Daibes, a real estate developer who heads the development firm Daibes Enterprises in New Jersey, was reportedly a long-time associate of Bob Menedez. Prosecutors allege that Daibes, who was charged with taking part in an insider loan scam at Mariner’s Bank, reportedly asked Menedez to intervene in exchange for cash, furniture, and gold bars.

The scheme reportedly included Bob Menedez recommending a candidate for U.S. Attorney in New Jersey whom the senator could influence. According to NJ.com, in 2022, Daibes pleaded guilty to one count of concealing a $1.8 million bank loan made to him. In exchange, the government agreed to drop the remaining 13 counts and promised not to seek a prison term.

According to the indictment, in June 2022, federal agents raided the couple's New Jersey home and discovered "the fruits" of a "corrupt bribery agreement", that included gold bars worth over $100,000.

In a lengthy statement, Bob Menendez denied the allegations, claiming he was the victim of a smear campaign.