When information broke that Senator Bob Menendez had been indicted on bribery expenses, it wasn’t precisely stunning. The senator had already been charged with bribery again in 2015 however was by no means convicted. But whereas the fees themselves could also be nothing new, the small print of the case are, on the very least, entertaining. We’re speaking cash-stuffed jackets, a brand new Mercedes-Benz, and literal gold bars right here. And that’s not even moving into the damning textual content messages and Google searches. But whereas a luxurious automotive is fairly run-of-the-mill by comparability, it seems like there’s really a a lot darker story behind it.
The New York Times reviews that in December 2018, at about 7:30 p.m., Nadine Arslanian, Menendez’s now-wife, hit 49-year-old Richard Koop along with her automotive. Koop was taken to the hospital and declared lifeless. Instead of being arrested, Arslanian was allowed to go away the scene and the crash was basically written off as an accident. Alcohol and marijuana had been present in Koop’s system, however Arslanian was by no means examined.
“It is determined that at this time Ms. Arslanian was not at fault for the motor vehicle crash and that Mr. Koop was jaywalking,” a police officer wrote in his report.
That’s a standard consequence in a whole lot of instances, however the story solely will get sketchier from there. About half-hour after the so-called accident, a person claiming to be a retired police officer confirmed as much as assist Arslanian. In a recording on the scene, he will be heard saying, “I don’t even know her. That’s my buddy’s wife who’s friends with her. He said could you do me a favor and take her up there, because her friend just got in a car accident.” He later requested officers in the event that they deliberate to get prosecutors concerned, they usually responded saying they deliberate to launch her.
Considering how frequent it’s for prosecutors to say no to cost drivers who kill pedestrians with their automotive, it’s unlikely we’ll ever know whether or not Menendez and his associates pressured legislation enforcement to let her go. But contemplating the opposite expenses and his historical past, on the very least, it sounds sketchy as hell.
The crash additionally left Arslanian with out a automotive. Instead of merely shopping for or leasing a brand new one, courtroom papers reportedly allege that she texted Wael Hana, a longtime pal and Egyptian-American businessman who has additionally been charged together with the Menendezes complaining that she didn’t have a automotive. Not lengthy after that, prosecutors say Menendez and Jose Uribe, an in depth affiliate of Hana, struck a deal — Menendez would stress the New Jersey legal professional basic’s workplace to let one in every of Uribe’s associates off the hook, and in trade, Uribe would give her a brand new automotive.
In a textual content message obtained by prosecutors, Arslanian informed Hana, “All is GREAT! I’m so excited to get a car next week. !!” By April, she had it. A Mercedes-Benz C 300 Convertible reportedly valued at $60,000. Not an S-Class and even an E-Class Convertible. “Congratulations mon amour de la vie,” she texted her now-husband. “We are the proud owners of a 2019 Mercedes.”
Based on the proof that’s accessible, it’s totally doable that Arslanian didn’t do something unsuitable when she killed Koop. But to then flip round and allegedly use Menendez’s corrupt affect to improve to a nicer, new Mercedes is simply darkish.
The New York Times has much more particulars on the crash, so should you can, you should definitely head over there and browse the entire thing.
Source: jalopnik.com