Bob Menendez, one of the most influential Democrats in the U.S., has been sentenced to 11 years in prison for corruption.

The U.S. District Court has sentenced former New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez to 11 years in prison for a long-running corruption scheme in which he accepted bribes in the form of cash and gold bars. This is one of the harshest sentences ever handed down to a federal politician in the United States, reports Voice of America.

According to media reports, there was silence in the packed courtroom in Lower Manhattan during the announcement of the sentence. Menendez pleaded with the judge for clemency, emphasizing that he has “spent his entire life in public service” and has “lost everything.”

However, Judge Sydney Stein noted that the evidence against the former senator was compelling and that he betrayed the trust of his constituents. “You were at the top of the political system, but somewhere along the way, you lost your way,” the judge stated.

The prosecution sought a 15-year sentence for Menendez, but his lawyers called this request “excessively harsh.” They argued that for the 71-year-old former senator, it is “vindictive and cruel,” as well as a “life sentence and death penalty.”

Menendez was found guilty of bribery, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and acting as an agent of a foreign government. According to investigators, he received bribes from individuals linked to the governments of Egypt and Qatar. The FBI discovered over $480,000 in cash hidden in closets and jackets with his name during a search of his home, along with gold bars.

Along with Menendez, two of his accomplices—businessmen Wael Hana and Fred Daibes—were also convicted. They received sentences of over 8 and 7 years, respectively, along with fines of $1.3 million and $1.75 million.

The wife of the former senator, Nadine Menendez, is also involved in the case, but her trial has been postponed due to cancer treatment. A hearing for her case is scheduled for March 18.