Ex-US Rep. George Santos faces sentencing for fraud after duping donors and voters

[ad_1] CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who lied about his life story and defrauded donors, faces sentencing in federal court docket on Friday.

The New York Republican, who served in Congress for barely a 12 months earlier than being ousted in 2023 by his Home colleagues, pleaded responsible final summer time to federal wire fraud and aggravated identification theft.

He admitted to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of practically a dozen folks, together with his relations, to fund his profitable marketing campaign. As a part of a plea deal, Santos has agreed to pay roughly $580,000 in penalties along with jail time.

The 36-year-old informed The Related Press he’s resigned to his destiny.

“I’m doing in addition to any human being could be doing given the circumstances,” Santos wrote in a textual content message on Thursday. “I will probably be in court docket tomorrow, able to face the music.”

Prosecutors are searching for seven years in federal jail for Santos, arguing in current court docket filings that he “stays unrepentant” and has not proven real regret, regardless of what he claims.

They cite current feedback Santos has made on social media through which he casts himself as a sufferer of prosecutorial overreach.

In a letter to the court docket this week, Santos careworn that he stays “profoundly sorry” for his crimes however objects to the sentence being sought, which he stated is overly harsh.

Santos’ attorneys have referred to as for a two-year jail stint, which is the obligatory minimal sentence for aggravated identification theft.

They argue such a penalty is corresponding to sentences handed to former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and different political figures convicted of comparable monetary crimes.

Santos was elected in 2022, flipping a rich district representing elements of Queens and Lengthy Island for the GOP.

Quickly after, it was revealed that the political unknown had fabricated a lot of his life story, portray himself as a profitable enterprise proprietor who labored at prestigious Wall Road companies and held a priceless actual property portfolio.

In actuality, Santos was struggling financially and even confronted eviction. The revelations led to congressional and legal inquiries into how he had funded his marketing campaign.

As his sentencing approached, Santos was reflective in social media posts, thanking his supporters and detractors alike.

“I discovered that irrespective of left, proper or, middle we're all people and for probably the most half People (LOL) and we have now one tremendous energy that I cherish and that's compassion,” he wrote Thursday on the social platform X. “To the trolls… nicely you guys are an impactful a part of how folks form themselves, and y’all made me a lot stronger and made my pores and skin thicker!”

He additionally made one closing plug for his Cameo account, the place he data personalised video messages for $100.

“Assume forward and of any celebration or occasion arising later this 12 months. Ebook them as we speak,” Santos wrote, ending the submit with a collection of coronary heart emojis.