U.S. District Judge Sidney H. Stein announced the sentence after Menendez tearfully addressed the judge, saying he'd lost everything he cared about, except for his wife.

Mr. Menendez, a powerful longtime senator from New Jersey, was convicted last year on federal bribery and corruption charges.

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey was sentenced Wednesday to 11 years in federal prison for selling the powers of his office to wealthy benefactors and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government — capping a historic fall from grace for the once-prominent Democrat,

The sentence caps a remarkable downfall for Menendez, who was convicted last July of enriching himself through a variety of corrupt acts.

Bob Menendez, 71, was found guilty on all 16 counts in his federal trial, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to be convicted of acting as a foreign agent.

Former Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez was sentenced to 11 years in prison Wednesday for a brazen bribery scheme that saw him put his political influence up for sale in exchange for stockpiles of cash,

The sentence, handed down in a Manhattan courtroom by U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein, would make Menendez one of just several senators in history to be sent to prison.

Former U.S. senator Bob Menendez faces sentencing for operating what prosecutors called one of the most brazen corruption schemes in the country’s history.