CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — George Santos, who was expelled from Congress as he confronted almost two dozen felony expenses, reached a plea deal Monday with federal prosecutors in New York on two federal counts.
Santos pleaded responsible to wire fraud and aggravated identification theft.
“A short while in the past, after years of telling lies, former Congressman George Santos stood within the courthouse behind me and at last, underneath oath, informed the reality. And that fact is that he’s a felony,” U.S. Lawyer Breon Peace mentioned. “Santos pled responsible to severe crimes involving fraud and identification theft. He additionally admitted to committing all different crimes he was charged with within the superseding indictment. Consequently, he’ll lastly be held to account for his actions.”
Peace mentioned underneath the deal Santos will go to jail for no less than two years, although the decide mentioned the plea deal could include an estimated sentencing vary between 6-8 years. He is set for sentencing Feb. 7 at federal court docket in Central Islip.
Below the settlement, Santos should repay no less than $373,000.
“He admitted that he lied, he stole, and that he conned individuals”
“So at the moment, for what could look like the primary time since he began his marketing campaign for Congress, Mr. Santos informed the reality about his felony schemes. He admitted that he lied, he stole, and that he conned individuals. Santos’ numerous lies and audacious misrepresentations catapulted him to Congress,” Peace mentioned. “However for the victims of Santos’ numerous monetary crimes and the group whose falsehoods and fabrications disadvantaged them of sincere illustration in Congress, he’s worthy solely of infamy.”
Santos spoke in court docket, acknowledging a collection of crimes. He spoke so rapidly the decide needed to inform him to decelerate, CBS Information New York’s Alice Gainer reported.
He admitted fraudulently utilizing bank cards of no less than one different particular person for his private profit, in addition to making false statements to the Federal Election Fee. He additionally admitted to committing wire fraud between Sept-Oct of 2022.
Along with pleading responsible to these crimes, Peace mentioned Santos additionally admitted to a “litany” of different crimes, “for which the court docket will maintain him accountable at sentencing.”
Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly praised the cooperation with federal companions within the prosecution of Santos.
“Working collectively to prosecute a liar, a cheat, and a thief, for that is what George Santos is, and that is what his plea of responsible right here at the moment proves,” Donnelly mentioned.
“I allowed ambition to cloud my judgment,” Santos says
“It is clear to me now I allowed ambition to cloud my judgment, main me to make choices that had been unethical and pleading responsible is a step I by no means imagined I might take, however it’s a obligatory one as a result of it’s the proper factor to do,” Santos mentioned exterior of court docket.
Amongst different issues, he admitted to giving a listing of false donors, writing down the names of household and buddies who didn’t give him permission to take action in an effort to conceal his crimes.
“My actions have betrayed the belief of my supporters and constituents,” Santos mentioned in court docket.
Santos had beforehand known as the investigation a “witch hunt” whereas sustaining his innocence.
Stint in Congress outlined by scandal
Santos’ 11-month stint in Congress was outlined by scandal after he overtly embellished his biography to win his seat within the 2022 midterm elections.
His life story continued to unravel when the Justice Division indicted him in Could 2023 and once more in October. Amongst the 23 felony expenses, Santos is alleged to have defrauded marketing campaign donors after which used the cash to pay for private bills like designer clothes, stole his donors’ identities and made hundreds of {dollars} in unauthorized expenses on their bank cards, acquired unemployment advantages whereas he was employed, lied to Congress about his monetary circumstances and falsified marketing campaign finance studies.
Report discovered “substantial proof” Santos broke the legislation
His Home colleagues tried to expel him twice final yr earlier than a damning Ethics Committee report detailing his alleged conduct opened the floodgates for lawmakers to assist expelling him.
The report discovered Santos fabricated his biography whereas operating for workplace and funneled marketing campaign funds to pay for Botox injections, OnlyFans subscriptions, Hermès and Ferragamo purchases and different private bills.
There was “substantial proof” that Santos repeatedly broke the legislation, the report mentioned.
Tried comeback bid
Santos, who had maintained his innocence till now, did not retreat from the highlight after his historic fall within the Home. He sought to stay within the public eye by attacking his former colleagues on social media, charging tons of of {dollars} for movies on Cameo, an app the place customers pay celebrities for personalised messages, and attending President Biden’s State of the Union deal with in March. He additionally introduced he was leaving the Republican Social gathering and launching a congressional comeback bid as an unbiased, earlier than rapidly ending his marketing campaign.
Santos informed CBS New York in December that he had a “lengthy highway of redemption” forward of him.
When requested whether or not he was afraid of going to jail, he mentioned: “I believe all people must be afraid of going to jail. It is not a fairly place. I positively need to work very exhausting to keep away from that as greatest as potential.”
Santos famous in that interview {that a} plea deal was “not off the desk.” Prosecutors mentioned in a Dec. 11 court docket submitting that they had been in plea negotiations with Santos “with the aim of resolving this matter with out the necessity for a trial.”
Jury choice was supposed to start Sept. 9 in his trial on 23 felony expenses, which included wire fraud, theft of public funds, cash laundering, aggravated identification theft and making false assertion to the Federal Election Fee.
Prosecutors mentioned, had they gone to trial, they had been prepared with greater than 500 displays together with textual content messages, emails, monetary data and flight data, together with dozens of witnesses.
Pat Milton
contributed to this report.