New York. Former Brazilian-born Republican Congressman George Santos, who was expelled from the U.S. Congress after being accused of corruption, pleaded guilty on Monday to wire fraud and identity theft, crimes that could lead to two to 22 years in prison.
“George Anthony Devolder Santos has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft,” said sources at the federal district court in the town of Isling, east of New York.
The guilty plea spares him a trial scheduled for Sept. 9.
Although the investigating judge in the case, Joanna Seybert, will announce the sentence on February 7, prosecutor Breon Peace said that “he will go to jail for at least two years.”
However, the 23 crimes of which this son of Brazilian immigrants was accused could bring him up to 22 years in prison.
He will also have to pay restitution of $373,749.97 and a fine of $205,000.97 as part of the plea agreement, according to the court.
Santos, 36, was accused of lying to the Federal Electoral Committee, identity theft, money laundering and diverting campaign money to his personal account.
According to prosecutors, Santos also used his donors’ credit cards without authorization to buy designer clothing, make payments, put down a car deposit and withdraw money from ATMs.
She also received benefits during the coronavirus pandemic to which she was not entitled and unemployment benefits despite being in paid employment.
Santos lied to Congress about his personal wealth, “inventing millions of dollars in assets that never existed and hiding his real income,” the prosecutor said.
“Today (…) Santos told the truth about his criminal plans. He admitted to having lied, stolen and defrauded people,” said the prosecutor.
“Their plea represents justice for those constituents and government institutions, as well as for individual victims,” Peace added.
In his act of contrition, Santos admitted that he allowed “ambition to cloud my judgment.”
“Feeling guilty is a step I never imagined I would take, but it is necessary, because it is the right thing to do,” he added. Not only in front of others but because of “the recognition of the lies I told myself over the last few years,” he added.
After apologising sincerely to his family, friends and supporters, and to the voters in his district, he acknowledged that he had “failed” them.
New face
After refusing to resign his seat when impeached, he was expelled by the House of Representatives last December.
The House ethics committee accused him of having “seriously discredited” the legislative body.
He became the sixth congressman forced to resign in the history of the institution.
The last elected congressman to be stripped of his seat was Ohio Democrat James Traficant in 2002 after being charged with corruption. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Santos ran for the November 2022 legislative election as the “new face of the Republican Party.”
To do this, he constructed a candidate persona full of lies about his education, religion, assets and salary.
He even claimed that he had worked for major banks like Goldman Sachs, and had been a volleyball star in college.
He also falsified his family history, claiming to be a descendant of Jewish Holocaust survivors who fled Nazi barbarity during World War II.
In May 2023, the prosecution initially charged him with 10 counts, which were expanded to 23 last October.
Santos, who was awaiting trial in freedom, had so far pleaded not guilty to all charges.
An investigation by The New York Times uncovered his lies and led to the investigation that abruptly ended his short political career.
Santos, who was awaiting trial in freedom, had so far pleaded not guilty.
Last year, his former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, had pleaded guilty to manipulating campaign finance records in coordination with Santos, including a role in fraudulently reporting a fictitious $500,000 loan that Santos claimed to have made to his campaign.
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– 2024-08-24 18:45:52
