We begin with breaking news the sentencing of former Senator Bob Menendez.

A Manhattan federal judge today handed down an 11 year prison sentence to the once powerful ranking Democrat, bringing to a close months of indictments, a lengthy trial and a conviction on 16 counts of bribery, extortion and conspiracy for operating what prosecutors called one of the most brazen corruption schemes in the nation's history.

Accepting bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in gold bars, cash and a Mercedes Benz in exchange for his political clout and acting as a foreign agent to Egypt.

An emotional Menendez pleaded before Judge Sidney Stein today for compassion and leniency, recounting his decades of public service as reason for a lesser sentence.

Earlier in the day, Judge Stein sentenced Menendez's to co-defendants ordering seven years in prison for new Jersey developer Fred Davies and eight years one month for Will Hannah.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan was there when the judge handed the sentence down and joins us now from outside the courthouse.

Brenda, we just heard from the senator.

What did he say?

Senator Menendez came downstairs and he was an angry man.

What he called the Southern District of New York was a wild West court.

And he said that President Trump was right, that this is a witch hunt, and that he hopes that the president restores some integrity to the system.

Now, inside the courthouse today, it was also very emotional.

An 11 year sentence, three years of supervised release after that.

And the senator, former senator, is going to have to forfeit all of the gold and cash that was seized from his house by the FBI raid.

Now, when he was talking to the judge, essentially pleading for a lesser sentence, his voice was rough with tears.

He was crying at a couple of moments, and he said that he quote a chastened man, that the trial ripped apart his life, that it horrified his family and his son.

Congressman Rob Menendez and daughter Alicia Menendez were there in the audience listening to him now.

He listed all of his many accomplishments as a senator.

And he said that the defense has asked him, asked for an eight year sentence and because the 70, 71 years old and the defense attorney say that Bob Menendez does not deserve to die in jail.

They said that he's been ridiculed nationally.

He's known as Gold Bar Bob.

And that that kind of punishment with I think they they asked for something along the lines of eight years was enough.

Now, the judge said he had gotten 130 letters in support of Menendez, and he indicated it's a tragedy in, quote, that he started his career as a corruption fighter in Union City, only to see this downfall all marked by corruption.

Now, the prosecution had asked for 15 years, Brianna.

They said that this was a crime of historic proportions and that it overshadowed all of the good that Menendez did and his career in the Senate.

I'm wondering why is that significant to the 11 years prosecutors, you say, asked for 15.

A last minute attempt by the defense attorneys asking for eight.

The judge seemed to meet in the middle.

Because ten years is a bright line.

If you're convicted and you're sentenced to ten years, you can serve that less than ten years in a minimum security federal prison camp.

At 11 years, Mendez is going to be serving this this up the sentence in a medium security facility.

The defense has said that they are afraid.

He is now considered notorious.

He's been all over television, the guy with the gold bars.

And that is going to open him up to threats and violence and intimidation and extortion.

And that is going to be a lot harder time to serve.

Yeah.

Which the senator said he will appeal.

He, of course, was the big fish.

But what happened with his two co-defendants, Fred Davies and Will Hanna?

Fred Davies and Will Hannah Davies, had another emotional plea to the judge for mercy.

He said that he actually considered suicide after the guilty verdict.

He is the Edgewater developer who, bribed the senator with with cash and gold bars.

He said he has an autistic son, and he cried, asking the judge for a more lenient sentence.

He got seven years in prison, three years of supervised release, and he has to pay a $1.75 million fine.

It will.

Hannah, who is the other codefendant, had asked for a two year sentence that he is an innocent man.

The judge gave him eight years and a $1.25 million fine.

And when will they report?

Obviously, they've all left the courthouse.

When will they actually begin serving these sentences?

Well, the two co-defendants are, supposed to show up.

Hopefully.

They hope, at a tri state area federal prison April 4th.

However, the judge indicated he wanted Senator Menendez to be present during his wife Nadine's trial.

That's coming up March 18th.

And the senator will be there, or the former senator will be there.

His surrender date is set for June 7th.

An extraordinary downfall for the once very powerful Senate Democrat, Brenda Flanagan for us.

Brenda.

Great reporting.

Thanks so much.

Thank you.