George Santos sentenced to over 7 years on federal fraud prices in New York

Former U.S. Rep. George Santos was sentenced to greater than seven years in jail on federal wire fraud and id theft prices Friday in New York. 

The choose handed down the utmost sentence of 87 months simply earlier than midday in Central Islip on Lengthy Island.

Federal prosecutors say the previous congressman exaggerated or fabricated giant elements of his backstory to defraud voters and donors in New York’s third Congressional District. He confronted practically a dozen legal prices earlier than pleading responsible to 2 counts final August.

U.S. Lawyer for the Japanese District of New York John Durham spoke to reporters after the sentencing and referred to as Santos’ crimes an “affront to our electoral course of, our consultant authorities and the individuals of New York’s third Congressional District.”

“However at the moment, lastly, Santos has been held accountable for his years of fraud, deceit and theft. He’ll federal jail and he will be punished for his staggering fraud, for the abuses he placed on our democratic course of, for mocking our establishments and, most significantly, for betraying and defrauding his supporters, his voters, his donors, federal companies, state companies,” Durham stated exterior the courthouse. “In the present day’s sentence demonstrates that this egregious conduct won’t, and by no means shall be, tolerated.”

CBS Information reached Santos by telephone as he was driving to court docket Friday morning, and he stated he was resigned to the very fact the choose may impose a stiff sentence. He stated he had no expectations concerning the choose’s resolution or when he must report back to jail. 

The 36-year-old walked into the courthouse via crush of reporters and photographers. He was seen hugging supporters and looking out very somber, with bloodshot eyes, as he went inside. 

Santos learn an announcement to the choose, saying via tears he was humbled and that he shattered the religion of many individuals. He supplied his deepest apologies and admitted that he betrayed his supporters and the establishments he was sworn to serve. He went on to say he can’t rewrite the previous however he requested for a balanced sentence, including he can contribute to the group he wronged.

He was later seen leaving the courthouse along with his attorneys. It is unclear when he’ll report for his sentence.

Exterior, a crowd of his former constituents gathered with indicators that learn “Fact Issues” and “We Refuse to Be Deceived Once more.”

Santos requested for leniency forward of sentencing

The U.S. Division of Justice wished Santos to serve 87 months in jail, whereas his legal professionals sought simply 24 months. 

In a latest submitting, the DOJ stated he stays “unrepentant for his crimes” and pointed to numerous social media posts it stated are “hardly an expression of ‘real regret.'”

Santos wrote to the choose earlier this week asking for leniency and saying he accepts duty. 

“This case has price me my congressional seat, my fame, my livelihood, and, most painful of all, the boldness of people that believed in me. Each dawn since that plea has carried the identical realization: I did this, me. I’m accountable,” Santos wrote. “However saying I am sorry does not require me to take a seat quietly whereas these prosecutors attempt to drop an anvil on my head.”

He beforehand instructed his followers he plans to request solitary confinement in jail. 

Santos was a part of “purple wave” for Republican social gathering

Santos helped Republicans safe the Home of Representatives within the 2022 midterm elections, representing New York’s third Congressional District which covers elements of Queens and Nassau County. 

Earlier than he was even sworn into workplace, his lies began to untangle. 

Federal investigators filed the primary prices towards Santos in Might 2023, adopted by further prices that October. The Home Ethics Committee launched a scathing 56-page report the following month, detailing the scope of his misconduct.

Santos was ousted from Congress weeks later, changing into simply the sixth Home member to be expelled in U.S. historical past. 

What did George Santos do?

In a sentencing memo filed earlier this month, prosecutors stated he “made a mockery of our election system,” including he did not simply pad his resume, he used “a completely fictitious biography to complement himself and seize one of many highest workplaces.”   

Prosecutors stated Santos introduced false monetary disclosures to congress claiming he was a multi-millionaire and solicited a vendor to forge a Baruch Faculty diploma.

Within the sentencing memo, they wrote these have been “intentional and bald-faced lies” of a “skilled fraudster” — “a fictitious public picture of a extremely educated, independently rich businessman.”    

“He admitted to partaking in a brazen crime spree that happened over a interval of years. He stole private identities and monetary data from marketing campaign contributors, made unauthorized transfers of cash to his marketing campaign and to himself personally,” Durham stated Friday. “He defrauded perspective political supporters by convincing them to make marketing campaign contributions based mostly on false statements, after which took the cash for himself.

“He lied to obtain unemployment advantages when he was not entitled to them as a result of he had a job. He lied to the Federal Election Fee concerning the amount of cash his marketing campaign had introduced in, and he used that to trick the Nationwide Republican Congressional Committee into giving his marketing campaign cash it was not entitled to,” Durham continued. “And he lied to congress on his monetary disclosure varieties.”

The sentencing memo outlined faux donations within the names of family members, a bank card fraud scheme that stole from aged and cognitively impaired donors to purchase designer items, and one other that created a faux nonprofit to solicit donations. 

It additionally stated Santos claimed he loaned his marketing campaign $500,000 when he had lower than $10,000 to his title, and that he collected unemployment advantages whereas working for a agency that was later uncovered as a Ponzi scheme.

“From the second he declared his candidacy for congress, Santos leveraged his marketing campaign for his personal enrichment and monetary profit,” stated Durham. “He did this by focusing on particular supporters and constituents. He noticed them as straightforward marks and he made them victims of his fraud.”

As a part of his plea deal, he agreed to pay greater than $575,000 in restitution and forfeiture. 

Learn the complete sentencing memo