Prosecutors are seeking more than seven years in prison for notorious former U.S. Congressman George Santos after he pleaded guilty to federal fraud and identity theft.
The U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York argued in a court filing Friday that a stiff sentence was warranted because the New York Republican's “unprecedented crimes” made a “mockery” of the nation's electoral system.
“He deceived his campaign team, his supporters, his purported employer, his colleagues in Congress, and the American public,” the office said.
“From creating a completely fictitious biography to callously stealing from elderly and vulnerable donors, Santos's unbridled greed and insatiable thirst for fame have allowed him to exploit the very system by which we elect our representatives.”
The office also noted that Santos had “showed no remorse and behaved defiantly for years,” dismissing the allegations as a “witch hunt” and refusing to leave Congress when his lies were exposed.
Even after pleading guilty before trial, prosecutors argued that his statements of remorse “raise doubts about their sincerity,” stressing that he had not forfeited any of his ill-gotten gains or returned money to any of his victims.
“The volume of Santos' lies and his unusual behavior indicate a high likelihood of him reoffending and the need to isolate him from the society of which he has been a victim on numerous occasions,” prosecutors said.
The 87-month prison term requested by prosecutors is the maximum penalty available in such cases.
They estimate that this would mean approximately four to five years in prison, plus a mandatory minimum of two years for felony identity theft.
Santos' attorneys did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment sent Friday. Friday marked the deadline for both sides to file their sentencing briefs with the court.
A federal judge on Long Island is scheduled to hear arguments and rule on Santos' case at a hearing on April 25.
Once a rising Republican star who represented parts of Queens and Long Island, he served only a year in office before being voted out by his House colleagues in 2023, becoming only the sixth congressman to be voted out in the chamber's history.
Santos' political downfall came after it was revealed that he had fabricated much of his biography, raising questions about how unknown benefactors financed his successful campaign.
Now the 36-year-old presents himself as a successful businessman who graduated from prestigious colleges, worked for well-known Wall Street companies and owns a valuable real estate portfolio.
However, in reality he was experiencing financial difficulties and was facing eviction.
In August, Santos admitted to defrauding voters, misleading donors and stealing the identities of nearly a dozen people, including his family members, to make campaign contributions to his congressional race.
He was originally scheduled to be sentenced in February, but the judge granted him a three-month stay so he could pay more than half a million dollars in court fines.
As part of the plea agreement, Santos agreed to pay around $375,000 (£290,850) in restitution and $205,000 (£158,998) in forfeiture.
Santos' lawyers said at the time that he had just over $1,000 (£775) in liquid assets and needed more time to grow his newly launched podcast to begin paying off the debt.
Prosecutors allege Santos profited significantly from his bad reputation, saying he made more than $800,000 (£620,480) from appearances on video-sharing platform Cameo and from a new documentary after being expelled from Con
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
