Republican Congressman George Santos Arrested on Charges of Fraud, Money Laundering and False Statements

UNITED STATES – The elected Republican George Santos, whose countless lies have made headlines since his election in 2022, was charged on Tuesday and arrested on Wednesday, May 10 in Long Island, New York, a announced the American federal justice.

The deputy was charged with 13 counts in connection with the financial part of the case, in particular for “electronic fraud”, “money laundering”, “false statements in the House of Representatives”. He will be “brought to justice this afternoon” in federal court, Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement.

The latter criticizes in particular the elected official for having had recourse to “repeated dishonesty and deceit to get into Congress and get rich. He used political funds to line his own pockets, illegally applied for unemployment benefits that should have gone to New Yorkers who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic [de Covid-19] and lied to the House of Representatives”.

The indictment notably accuses George Santos of having made false financial statements to the House of Representatives about his assets and income. He is also accused of defrauding donors for his election campaign by transferring the money to his personal bank account.

‘If convicted of the charges, Santos faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the highest counts’specify the services of Breon Peace.

Large Scale Lies

George Santos, 34, also suspected of inflating his financial income and “ embellished » his CV, admitted to having grossly lied about whole parts of his life. The future elected official admitted never having worked for the prestigious banks Goldman Sachs or Citigroup, nor having a university degree, contrary to what he claimed.

The one who presented himself as a symbol of “ American dream ” is accused of having lied or of having exaggerated the reality by presenting himself as “ an American proud to be Jewish” – he grew up in a Catholic family, but maintains that his “ heritage is Jewish” – or even as the grandson of Holocaust survivors who fled Nazi barbarism.

It is the subject of multiple investigations, in Congress, in New York and as far away as Brazil.

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