Disgraced former New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez is set to spend his “golden” years behind bars.

On Tuesday, the embattled ex-lawmaker began serving an 11-year sentence at a federal prison in Pennsylvania for a corruption scheme that earned him the nickname “Gold Bar Bob.”

Menendez, 71, reported to FCI Schuylkill—a facility about two and a half hours from his home in Englewood Cliffs—at around 9 a.m., following his conviction for abusing his Senate position to amass gold bars, cash, and other bribes.

When sentenced in January, the once-powerful politician was granted a delay in reporting to prison so he could assist his wife, Nadine Menendez, who is facing similar charges of bribery and corruption.

He had also made a last-ditch effort to secure a pardon or commutation from President Donald Trump. If that effort failed to succeed by Tuesday, Menendez would begin serving his time at the Pennsylvania facility.

Menendez was convicted on all 16 charges last July, despite continuing to assert his innocence.

During the trial, federal prosecutors argued that Menendez accepted bribes from three New Jersey businessmen—receiving gold bars, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, and other lavish benefits—in exchange for political favors that advanced their interests and those of the governments of Egypt and Qatar.

Before heading to the federal prison in eastern Pennsylvania, Menendez spent his final day of freedom with his wife Nadine, who was also convicted in the bribery case and is scheduled to report to prison in September. On Monday, the couple was seen together entering a credit union in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

According to court filings submitted by his legal team last month, Menendez is expected to serve his sentence at a facility that includes both a medium-security prison and a minimum-security camp. Due to the non-violent, white-collar nature of his offenses, he will likely be placed in the camp.

The Federal Correctional Institution in Schuylkill, located roughly 118 miles west of New York City, houses about 1,200 inmates. Notable prisoners include former New York City mob boss James Coonan and Gurmeet Singh Dhinsa—dubbed “Gas-Station Gotti” by the New York Post for his brutal business practices.

Menendez’s attempt to remain free during his appeal was rejected last week by a three-judge panel from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which denied his emergency bail request.

“I am far from a perfect man,” Menendez said during his sentencing in January, appealing for leniency. “I’ve made my fair share of poor choices and errors. I’ve accomplished a lot more good than negative.”

His attorneys emphasized his personal journey, describing how the son of Cuban immigrants rose from poverty to become “the epitome of the American Dream,” climbing from the mayor’s office in Union City to a decades-long career in Congress—before his downfall “rendered him a national punchline.”

“Despite his decades of service, he is now known more widely as Gold Bar Bob,” said defense attorney Adam Fee during the hearing.

The FBI discovered approximately $480,000 in cash and about $150,000 in gold bars during a 2022 raid of Menendez’s home. The items were concealed in various locations including clothing, shoes, bags, and boxes. A luxury Mercedes-Benz convertible was also found on the property.

Prosecutors alleged that Menendez leveraged his position to help Egypt obtain $300 million in U.S. military aid, sway U.S. foreign policy toward Egypt and Qatar, and interfere with criminal investigations targeting his associates Wael Hana, Fred Daibes, and Jose Uribe.

They also pointed to payments allegedly funneled through a sham consulting firm. During his testimony, Uribe provided damning statements about the other defendants.