George Santos faces sentencing for fraud on Friday after guilty plea
Former U.S. Rep. George Santos is set for sentencing on Friday after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors seek a 7-year sentence.
Former U.S. Congressman George Santos, who pleaded guilty to federal charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, is set to be sentenced on Friday in New York federal court.
Santos, who represented Long Island's 3rd District, was convicted for running fraudulent schemes that misled voters and defrauded donors.
Ex-Congressman faces up to seven years in prison for fraud and identity theft
George Santos faces a potential prison sentence of 6–7 years (75 to 87 months), including a sentence of minimum 2 years for aggravated identity theft. Prosecutors have pointed to his "unrepentant" behavior, as he recently posted on social media that DOJ "will NEVER break my spirit".
George Santos responds on X, claiming the DOJ will never break his spirit. Photo: George Santos' X account
The U.S. Attorney's office is looking for the maximum sentence for Santos, due to the great reach of his web of deceit spanning multiple levels of fraud; including the falsification of campaign contributions and misleading the public during his time in office.
Santos’ plea for a shorter sentence
Santos submitted a letter to Judge Joanna Seybert to plea for a shorter sentence stating that he "accepted full responsibility" for his actions, alongside his former campaign treasurer Nancy Marks. He stated that the sentence the Prosecutor's office was looking for was extremely harsh, comparing his case to former Illinois Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr., who had a smaller sentence for a similar crime.
As part of the plea deal, Santos agreed to pay nearly $600,000 in restitution and forfeiture. However, the timing of the payment was delayed to give George Santos the opportunity to raise the funds through his podcast.