Ex-US Rep. George Santos sentenced to over 7 years in prison for fraud and identity theft

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos, who lied about his life story and defrauded donors, was sentenced Friday to over seven years in prison, sobbing as he heard his punishment.

Santos, who pleaded guilty last summer to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, appealed for mercy, telling a court through tears that he was "humbled" and "chastised" and realized he had betrayed his constituents' trust.

“I offer my deepest apologies,” he said, adding: “I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead.”

U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert evidently wasn't convinced.

“Where is your remorse? Where do I see it?” she asked as she sentenced him to 87 months behind bars. She said the former politician appeared to feel that “it’s always someone else’s fault.”

The New York Republican served in Congress barely a year before his House colleagues ousted him in 2023.

He admitted to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of nearly a dozen people, including his family members, to fund his winning campaign. As part of a plea deal, Santos has agreed to pay roughly $580,000 in penalties.

“From the moment he declared his candidacy for Congress, Santos leveraged his campaign for his own enrichment and financial benefit,” U.S. Attorney John Durham, whose office prosecuted the case, said outside court.

The 36-year-old Santos is due to report to prison July 25. He didn't respond to reporters' shouted questions outside the courthouse, but he told The Associated Press on Thursday that he was resigned to his fate.

“I’m doing as well as any human being would be doing given the circumstances,” Santos wrote in a text message, adding that he was “ready to face the music.”

Prosecutors sought the 87-month sentence, questioning Santos' remorse in light of his recent social media posts casting himself as a victim of prosecutorial overreach.

Prosecutor Ryan Harris told the judge that some of Santos' victims were “extremely vulnerable," including a woman with brain damage and two octogenarian men who have dementia. Santos has said in recent days that he has no intention of paying back victims promptly, Harris noted.

“People think of this as a victimless crime because it’s about money. There are many victims in this crime,” added New York Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon.

She addressed the court as a victim because, before running for office, Santos collected unemployment benefits while actually working for a Florida company. Once in Congress, he co-sponsored legislation intended to root out unemployment fraud.

Santos’ lawyers had called for a two-year prison stint, the mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft.

Defense lawyer Andrew Mancilla portrayed the ex-congressman as a troubled figure forged by adversity.

Santos grew up in a “broken house” and was subjected to bullying throughout his life, the attorney said.

As a result, “he built the man he wanted to be, not who he was,” Mancilla said. “He did that because he believed that the world would not accept him for who he was.”

“Deep down, he is warm, kind, caring, and thoughtful,” Mancilla said.

But, the lawyer said, now “everyone hates George Santos.”

Santos was elected in 2022, flipping a wealthy district representing parts of Queens and Long Island for the GOP.

Soon after, it was revealed that the political unknown had fabricated much of his life story, painting himself as a successful business owner who worked at prestigious Wall Street firms and held a valuable real estate portfolio.

In reality, Santos was struggling financially and even faced eviction. The revelations led to congressional and criminal inquiries into how he had funded his campaign.

“He told lie after lie until it caught up with him — until we caught up with him and exposed him for what he truly was: an opportunist and a fraud," Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly, a Republican, said outside court Friday. Her office also investigated Santos.

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

"I learned that no matter left, right or, center we are all humans and for the most part Americans (LOL) and we have one super power that I cherish and that is compassion," he wrote Thursday on the social platform X. Addressing "the trolls," he added: "y'all made me much stronger and made my skin thicker!"

He also made one final plug for his Cameo account, where he records personalized video messages for $100.

“Think ahead and of any celebration or event coming up later this year. Book them today,” Santos wrote, ending the post with a series of heart emojis.

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Associated Press writer Jake Offenhartz in New York contributed to this story.

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Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.