CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — George Santos Expelled from Parliament Facing nearly 20 criminal charges, he reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors in New York on Monday on two federal charges.
Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
“Not long ago, former Congressman George Santos stood behind me in court after years of lying, and finally told the truth under oath. And the truth is that he is a criminal.” U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said:“Santos has pleaded guilty to serious crimes, including fraud and identity theft, and has also admitted to all of the other crimes charged in the indictment. As a result, the defendant will finally be held accountable for his actions.”
Peace said the plea agreement means Santos will spend at least two years in prison, but the judge said the plea deal calls for a sentence of six to eight years. Santos is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 7 in Central Islip federal court.
Under the agreement, Santos must repay at least $373,000.
“He admitted to lying, stealing and deceiving people.”
“So today, for what appears to be the first time since he launched his congressional campaign, Mr. Santos has told the truth about his criminal scheme. He has admitted to lying, stealing and deceiving people. Mr. Santos’ countless lies and bold false statements propelled him to Congress,” Peace said. “But to the victims of Mr. Santos’ various financial crimes and the communities whose lies and fabrications have robbed them of their rightful representation in Congress, he deserves only infamy.”
Santos admitted to the litany of crimes in court, and spoke so quickly the judge had to tell him to slow down, CBS News New York’s Alice Gaynor reported.
He admitted to fraudulently using at least one other person’s credit card for personal benefit and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. He also admitted to committing wire fraud between September and October 2022.
Peace said Santos not only pleaded guilty to these charges but to numerous others, and “the court will hold him accountable at sentencing.”
Nassau County District Attorney Ann Donnelly praised the department’s cooperation with federal partners in prosecuting Santos.
“George Santos is a liar, a cheat and a thief and we are working together to prosecute that, which is his guilty plea today,” Donnelly said.
“Ambition clouded my judgement,” Santos said.
“It is now clear that ambition clouded my judgement and caused me to make unethical decisions. Pleading guilty is something I never imagined I would take, but it is necessary because it is the right thing to do,” Santos said outside court.
He admitted that to conceal his crimes, he submitted a fake list of donors, writing down the names of family and friends who had not given permission.
“My actions betrayed the trust of my supporters and constituents,” Santos said in court.
Santos has previously maintained his innocence and called the investigation a “witch hunt.”
A scandal-ridden term in Congress
Santos’ 11-month term in Congress ended when he He boldly glamorized his biography. To win a seat in the 2022 midterm elections.
His life continued to unravel as the Department of Justice indicted him in May and October 2023. 23 felony chargesSantos is accused of embezzling campaign funds and using the money for personal expenses such as designer clothing, stealing donors’ identities to make thousands of dollars in fraudulent charges on his credit cards, receiving unemployment benefits while in office, lying to Congress about his financial situation and falsifying campaign finance reports.
Report finds “substantial evidence” that Santos broke the law
Her House colleagues tried twice to expel her last year, but a scathing ethics committee report detailing her alleged conduct led lawmakers to support expulsion.
The report said Santos falsified his resume and misappropriated campaign funds during his election campaign. To pay for Botox injections, OnlyFans subscriptions, Hermes and Ferragamo purchases, and other personal expenses.
The report said there was “substantial evidence” that Santos had repeatedly broken the law.
Return attempts
Santos, who has always maintained his innocence, has not shyed away from the spotlight since his historic defeat in the congressional elections, attacking former colleagues on social media and seeking public attention by fining them hundreds of dollars. Cameo Videosan app where users can pay celebrities to send personalized messages, and attending President Biden’s State of the Union address in March. He also announced that he was leaving the Republican Party, Aiming to return to parliament Independently and immediately End the election campaign.
Santos He told CBS New York In December, he said he had a “long road of redemption” ahead of him.
When asked if he was scared of going to prison, he replied: “I think everyone should be scared of going to prison. Prison is not a nice place. I want to try really hard to avoid prison as much as possible.”
Santos said in an interview that a plea deal is “not out of the question.” Prosecutors said in a Dec. 11 court filing that they were negotiating a plea deal with Santos “with the goal of resolving this matter without the need for a trial.”
Jury selection in the trial of the defendant, who is indicted on 23 felony charges including wire fraud, theft of public funds, money laundering, aggravated identity theft and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission, was scheduled to begin on September 9.
Prosecutors said they had more than 500 pieces of evidence, including text messages, emails, financial records and flight records, and dozens of witnesses, if the case went to trial.
Pat Milton contributed to this report.
