Northeast
Bob Menendez's corruption case co-defendant pleads guilty to 7 counts, cooperating with investigators
A New Jersey businessman and co-defendant in Sen. Bob Menendez’s, D-N.J., corruption case pleaded guilty to seven counts and said he would cooperate with investigators.
Jose Uribe on Friday pleaded guilty to a slate of charges that include conspiracy to commit bribery, obstruction of justice, wire fraud and tax evasion. He faces up to 95 years in prison if convicted on all counts. In his plea agreement, Uribe said he would cooperate with prosecutors against Menendez.
Federal prosecutors initially unsealed charges against Menendez and his wife, Nadine Menendez, in September. They include accusations that he benefited the government of Egypt and engaged in a corrupt scheme alongside Uribe, New Jersey real estate developer Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, who runs a halal meat certification business in the state.
TIMELINE OF SEN BOB MENENDEZ’S INDICTMENT WITH WIFE ALLEGES YEARSLONG CORRUPTION
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and his wife Nadine depart a Manhattan court after they were arraigned on federal bribery charges in New York on Sept. 27, 2023. (Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Menendez and his wife allegedly accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes “to seek to protect and enrich” Uribe, Daibes and Hana. The bribes included cash, gold bars, home mortgage payments, compensation for no-show jobs and “other things of value,” according to the indictment.
An image of the gold bar recovered from Menendez’s residence as shown in the DOJ indictment against him. (Getty Images/Department of Justice)
Uribe also allegedly helped Menendez and his wife purchase a Mercedes-Benz C-300 convertible valued at over $60,000. According to the indictment, Menendez had agreed to interfere in a New Jersey state criminal prosecution dealing with an associate of Uribe, who faced insurance fraud charges relating to a trucking company and an employee of Uribe.
DEMOCRAT SEN MENENDEZ’S WIFE HIT, KILLED PEDESTRIAN WHILE DRIVING IN 2018: REPORTS
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., arrives to the Senate Chambers of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 25. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Menendez, whose trial is scheduled to start in May, has denied any wrongdoing and said forces “behind the scenes” are working to silence him and dig his “political grave.” He, his wife, Daibes and Hana have pleaded not guilty.
Menendez’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.
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Boston, MA
Charlotte plays Boston on 5-game win streak
Charlotte Hornets (31-31, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (41-20, second in the Eastern Conference)
Boston; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Celtics -6.5; over/under is 214.5
BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte is looking to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Hornets take on Boston.
The Celtics are 27-13 against Eastern Conference opponents. Boston is sixth in the NBA with 46.2 rebounds led by Nikola Vucevic averaging 8.8.
The Hornets are 19-21 in conference matchups. Charlotte is 7-8 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 15.0 turnovers per game.
The Celtics average 15.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.7 more made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets allow. The Hornets average 16.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.1 more made shots on average than the 13.9 per game the Celtics allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is averaging 29 points, 7.1 rebounds and five assists for the Celtics. Payton Pritchard is averaging 17 points and 5.8 assists over the past 10 games.
Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 22.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 8-2, averaging 109.4 points, 50.7 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 6.1 steals and 6.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 98.5 points per game.
Hornets: 7-3, averaging 117.3 points, 47.8 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.2 points.
INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles), Neemias Queta: day to day (rest).
Hornets: Coby White: day to day (injury management).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Pittsburg, PA
2 young girls found dead in suitcases in Cleveland, police say
The bodies of two young girls were found inside suitcases in Cleveland, Ohio, police said on Tuesday.
In a press conference, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd said on Tuesday that the bodies of the two girls were found in suitcases buried in shallow graves on Monday evening. One of the girls was believed to be between the ages of 8 and 13 years old, while the other was believed to be 10 to 14 years old. Neither girl was identified as of Tuesday night.
“This is a priority,” Todd said during Tuesday’s press conference. “This is a traumatic event for our officers, for the community, and this is just such a tragic incident, but we are trying to develop any leads we can.”
Police said there are no active missing persons reports in Cleveland that match the two victims.
Officials said someone walking their dog near East 162nd Street and Midland Avenue found what appeared to be a body inside a suitcase around 6 p.m. on Monday. When officers responded to the scene near Ginn Academy, they found one of the bodies stuffed in a suitcase in a shallow grave. The second shallow grave with the body stuffed in a suitcase was found after officers searched the area.
“This is a field close to the school over there,” Todd said. “This is just a residential neighborhood that I’m sure a lot of people do frequent.”
The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office has custody of the bodies and will identify the girls. Todd said there is no clear indication of possible causes of death for the girls or how long the girls were there.
“It was some time, so it’s not something that was recent,” Todd said.
There is no suspect, Todd added. Anyone with information can contact the Cleveland police at 216-623-5464.
“Usually in residential areas, you know what’s happening in your neighborhood, something just seems a little bit off,” Todd said. “That’s why we’re asking that anyone who has anything that they believe to be information directly related to or suspicious, that they give us a call.”
Connecticut
Multiple cars involved in crash on I-84 in Hartford
A multi-vehicle crash temporarily close Interstate 84 on Tuesday night.
The crash happened around 8:30 p.m. and involved four cars, according to the Hartford Fire Department.
Fire crews arrived at the scene and helped one of the drivers who was trapped. The driver was then taken to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment.
Four other people reported minor injuries but declined ambulance treatment at the scene, officials said.
I-84 East was temporarily shut down as crews responded but has since reopened.
The Connecticut State Police is investigating the crash.
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