Bob Menendez outside court in New York on Tuesday. Photograph: Seth Wenig/AP
A judge has sentenced Bob Menendez, former New Jersey senator in the United States, to 11 years in prison.
Prosecutors sought at least a 15-year sentence, citing in court documents the “rare gravity” of the ex-senator’s crimes.
Last year, Menendez, 71, was found guilty on 16 counts of accepting gifts, including gold bars, cash, and a Mercedes-Benz, in exchange for helping the Egyptian and Qatari governments.
Menendez pleaded with Sidney Stein, US district judge for mercy, twice breaking down in tears.
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“I have lost everything,” he said.
But the former senator’s pleas fell on deaf ears.
His lawyers called for a shorter sentence paired with community service.
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“Somewhere along the way, you became, I’m sorry to say, a corrupt politician,” Stein said before handing down the 11-year sentence on Wednesday.
The judge also ordered a forfeiture for all of Menendez’s ill-gotten gains, which totalled $992,188.10, according to the US attorney’s office.
Menendez has vowed to appeal the conviction.
The former senator has also been seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump after failing to get one from former President Joe Biden.
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Borrowing Trump’s infamous assertion during his trials before his presidential win, Menendez claimed he was the victim of a “political witch hunt”.
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