Central Islip, NY – George Santos, who was He was expelled from Congress He reached a plea deal Monday on two federal counts with federal prosecutors in New York as he faces nearly two dozen criminal charges.
Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
« Some time ago, years later, former Congressman Jorge Santos stood behind me in court under oath and told the truth. The truth is that he is a criminal. » US Attorney Brion Pease said. « Santos pleaded guilty to aggravated fraud and identity theft. He also pleaded guilty to all other crimes he was charged with.
Peace said Santos would spend at least two years in prison under the deal, although the judge said the plea deal could come with a sentence range of between 6-8 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced Feb. 7 in federal court in Central Islip.
According to the agreement, Santos must pay at least $373,000 in restitution.
« He admitted that he lied, stole and cheated people »
« So today, since starting his campaign for Congress, Mr. Santos may appear to have told the truth about his criminal schemes. He admitted that he lied, stole and conned people. Santos' countless lies and bold misrepresentations propelled him to Congress, » Peace said. « But for the victims of Santos' various financial crimes, and for the community that has been deprived of honest representation in Congress by lies and fabrications, he deserves only shame. »
Santos spoke in court and admitted to a series of crimes. He spoke so quickly that the judge had to tell him to slow down, CBS News New York's Alice Gainer reported.
He admitted to defrauding at least one person's credit cards for his personal benefit, as well as making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. He also admitted committing wire fraud between September-October 2022.
In addition to pleading guilty to those crimes, Pease said Santos also confessed to a « ritual » of other crimes, « which the court must hold accountable in sentencing him. »
Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly praised the cooperation of federal partners in the prosecution of Santos.
« Working together to prosecute a liar, a cheat and a thief, that's what Jorge Santos is, and that's what his indictment here today proves, » Donnelly said.
« I let ambition cloud my judgment, » Santos says
« It is clear to me now that I allowed ambition to cloud my judgment, leading me to make unethical and guilty decisions, a step I never thought I would have to take, but one that was necessary because it was the right thing to do, » Santos said outside court.
Among other things, he admitted to providing a false list of donors, writing the names of family and friends who did not allow him to do so to cover up his crimes.
« My actions betrayed the trust of my supporters and constituents, » Santos told the court.
Santos previously called the investigation a « witch hunt » while maintaining his innocence.
Congress tenure defined by corruption
Santos' 11-month term in Congress was defined by the scandal that followed him He shamelessly embellished his biography He must win his seat in the 2022 by-elections.
His life story continued to emerge in October, when the Justice Department indicted him in May 2023. in the middle 23 criminal casesSantos defrauded campaign donors, then used the money for personal expenses such as designer clothes, stole his donors' identities, racked up thousands of dollars in unauthorized charges on their credit cards, and lied about receiving unemployment benefits while he was employed. to Congress about his finances and false campaign finance reports.
It found « substantial evidence » that Santos broke the law
His House colleagues tried to oust him twice last year, after a damning Ethics Committee report detailing his behavior opened the floodgates to lawmakers in favor of ousting him.
The report found that Santos fabricated his biography while running for office and paid campaign funds To pay for Botox injections, fan subscriptions, Hermes and Ferragamo purchases, and other personal expenses.
The report said there was « substantial evidence » that Santos had repeatedly violated the law.
A comeback attempt
Santos, who has so far maintained his innocence, has stayed out of the spotlight since his historic fall in the House. He tried to stay in the public eye by attacking his former colleagues on social media and charging them hundreds of dollars. Videos in CameoAn app that allows users to pay celebrities for personalized messages and attend President Biden's State of the Union address in March. He also announced his resignation from the Republican Party Launching a Congress comeback effort An independently, quickly front ended his campaign.
Santos told CBS New York He had a « long road to recovery » ahead of him in December.
Asked if he was afraid of going to prison, he said: « I think everyone should be afraid of going to prison. It's not a pretty place. I want to work as hard as possible to avoid the best. »
Santos indicated in that interview that a plea deal was « not off the table. » Prosecutors said in a Dec. 11 court filing that they are in plea negotiations with Santos « with the goal of resolving this matter without the need for a trial. »
Jury selection in his trial on 23 felony counts including wire fraud, theft of public funds, money laundering, aggravated identity theft and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission is set to begin on September 9.
Prosecutors said they would have been prepared with dozens of witnesses and more than 500 exhibits, including text messages, emails, financial records and flight logs, if they had gone to trial.
Pat Milton contributed to this report.
