NEW YORK — Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who lied about his life story and defrauded donors, faces sentencing in federal courtroom 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 season to federal wire fraud and aggravated identification theft.
He admitted to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of almost a dozen individuals, together with his members of the family, 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 advised The Related Press he is resigned to his destiny.
“I am doing in addition to any human being could be doing given the circumstances,” Santos wrote in a textual content message on Thursday. “I can be in courtroom tomorrow, able to face the music.”
Prosecutors are in search of seven years in federal jail for Santos, arguing in latest courtroom filings that he “stays unrepentant” and has not proven real regret, regardless of what he claims.
They cite latest feedback Santos has made on social media through which he casts himself as a sufferer of prosecutorial overreach.
In a letter to the courtroom this week, Santos confused that he stays “profoundly sorry” for his crimes however objects to the sentence being sought, which he mentioned is overly harsh.
Santos’ legal professionals 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 akin 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 components 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 Avenue companies and held a beneficial actual property portfolio.
In actuality, Santos was struggling financially and even confronted eviction. The revelations led to congressional and felony 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, heart we’re all people and for probably the most half Individuals (LOL) and we’ve got one tremendous energy that I cherish and that’s compassion,” he wrote Thursday on the social platform X. “To the trolls… properly you guys are an impactful a part of how individuals form themselves, and y’all made me a lot stronger and made my pores and skin thicker!”
He additionally made one last plug for his Cameo account, the place he data personalised video messages for $100.
“Suppose forward and of any celebration or occasion arising later this 12 months. Ebook them at the moment,” Santos wrote, ending the submit with a sequence of coronary heart emojis.
Sentencing will happen at 10:30 a.m. in Central Islip.
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