Daibes, Hana set to testify at Nadine Menendez's trial
By: Katie Sobko
and Kristie Catafi
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... Edgewater developer Fred Daibes and Egyptian American businessman Wael Hana will now report to federal prison on May 19, [2025] after U.S. District judge Sidney Stein granted a 45-day extension on Tuesday [03/25/2025] afternoon.
.....
This extension will allow them to prepare and then testify at the trial of their co-defendent Nadine Arslanian Menendez, the wife of their co-defendent and former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez.
..... Her attorney Barry Coburn, wrote a letter to Stein asking for the extension of their prison report dates on Tuesday [03/25/2025] morning, saying it would "significantly assist us in preparing Ms. Menendez's affirmative case."
..... Coburn said in his request to the judge that the attorneys have "subpoenaed Hana and Daibes as defense witnesses."
..... "I anticipate both would require substantial preparation before being called to testify at trial," he said.
..... Daibes and Hana were found guilty alongside Menendez after a nine-week trail last summer. [2024]
..... In exchange for the envelopes of cash - some found with Daibes' fingerprints on them - gold bars, and mortgage and car payments, Menendez interfered in a federal bank fraud prosecution of Daibes and helped with redevelopment business in Qatar. the former senator also helped Hana, a longtime friend of Arslanian Menendez, secure a lucrative monopoly on halal meat exports to Egypt and other business dealings that benefited the governments of Egypt and Qatar.
Arslanian Menendez's trail began last week [03/18/2025] after several delays because she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Opening statements began on Monday, March 24. [2025]
..... Hana and Daibes, who didn't testify during their own trial, were originally ordered to report to prison on April 4, [2025] while Menendez had until June 6 [2025] s0 he could be present during his wife's trial.
..... Daiibes also enter a guilty plea in the ongoing bank fraud case he paid the former senator to quash.
.....
Daibes and Hana, like Arslanian Menendez, faced indictments in a federal corruption and bribery case brought by prosecutors in the Southern Distinct of New York. It was the second time in six years that Menedez faced bribery charges.
..... A third businessman, Jose Uribe, was charged alongside the other four in the case but entered a guilty plea after making a deal with federal prosecutors. Menendez was convicted of receiving cash, gold bars and a luxury car in exchange, for his using his political influence in a bribery scheme to benefit Hana, Daibes and Uribe.
What's next for Bob Menendez?
..... Menendez. Daibes and Hana have all field motions for new trials and are seeking bail pending the appeals.
..... After making his initial motion, Daibes was assigned to the prison camp at FCI Fairton, in South Jersey. Hana was assigned to FCI Schuykill in Minersville, Pennsylvania.
..... Hana's wife and children have just arrived in the United States, and he requested the 45 days also to help obtain Social Security cards for his daughters.