Federal prosecutors are currently investigating whether a convicted felon played a role in facilitating the transfer of gold bars valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars to New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez or his spouse, in return for assistance.
Investigators are keen to ascertain whether Menendez may have extended an offer to engage the Justice Department on behalf of an individual facing allegations of bank fraud. These inquiries are currently under review by a federal grand jury in Manhattan, which is evaluating the potential filing of corruption charges against the senior New Jersey senator.
Insiders reveal that witnesses are presently providing testimony before this federal grand jury. A portion of the investigation revolves around the senator’s connections to Fred Daibes, a New Jersey developer and former bank chairman.
Officials from the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are exploring whether Daibes or his associates presented gold bars to Senator Menendez’s wife, Nadine Arslanian, with an estimated value of up to $400,000.
At the time of the gifting of these gold bars, Daibes was facing federal charges related to bank fraud, carrying a potential sentence of up to ten years in federal prison.
Menendez’s wife liquidated gold bars valued at potentially up