Nadine Menendez, the wife of disgraced former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez, was sentenced on Thursday to 54 months, or more than four years, in federal prison for her role in a sweeping bribery conspiracy, CBS News reported.
The sentence follows her conviction in April on charges of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gold bars in exchange for political favors orchestrated by her husband.
The bribes, which also included a luxury Mercedes-Benz and payments for a mortgage and a no-show job, were part of a scheme prosecutors described as a "corrupt relationship" with three New Jersey businessmen.
Despite prosecutors’ push for a seven-year sentence and federal guidelines suggesting a minimum of 17 and a half years, Judge Sidney H. Stein settled on the 54-month term, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Stein said he considered her childhood trauma, cancer diagnosis, and charitable work but ultimately deemed her a "central participant" in the scheme.
Her defense had sought a one-year sentence, citing her ongoing breast cancer treatments and concerns about receiving proper care in prison. Judge Stein, however, did not remand her on Thursday, setting a surrender date for July 10, 2026. Menendez was also ordered to pay a $1,400 fine.
The conviction of Nadine Menendez comes after an FBI search of the couple's home uncovered more than $480,000 in cash, along with gold bars and $70,000 in a safe deposit box. The "partners in crime" narrative was a key theme during her trial, with prosecutors telling jurors that "she did the dirty work."
Bob Menendez was sentenced earlier this year to 11 years in prison after being convicted on all 16 counts against him. He became the first sitting US senator convicted of acting as a foreign agent.
In the wake of his conviction, Menendez resigned his seat, after having previously said he will not run for reelection but leaving open the possibility that he could run as an independent candidate.