Disgraced New York Congressman George Santos Could Serve 7 Years in Prison For Lie Scheme

Federal prosecutors are seeking more than seven years in prison for disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos, the Republican congressman from New York whose tenure in the House of Representatives came to an end after it was revealed he had potentially committed several crimes, including embezzling money from his campaign.

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said the length of the requested sentence— 87 months— reflects the serious nature of Santos's "unparalleled" crimes in a court filing.

"Santos planned and executed an assortment of fraudulent schemes and leveraged them and a fictitious life story to enrich himself and capture one of the highest offices in the government of the United States," DOJ attorneys wrote, according to court documents.

The attorneys also wrote that the New York Republican's scheme had "made a mockery of the country's election system.

"From his creation of a whole fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santos's unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enables him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives," the office wrote.

Prosecutors also argued that Santos had been "unrepentant and defiant" for years, dismissing the prosecution as a "witch hunt" and refusing to resign from Congress as his web of lies was debunked. They said his claims of remorse after pleading guilty "ring hollow" and suggested he has a "high likelihood of reoffending" given he has not forfeited any of his ill-gotten gains or repaid any of his victims.

In 2023, prosecutors charged Santos with 23 felony counts while he was still a representative in Congress. He pleaded guilty last August, after his expulsion from the House, to two of those charges: wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He also admitted to an array of other deceits.

Santos, 36, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 25. He was initially set to be sentenced in February, but a judge granted him a three-month reprieve to come up with more than half a million dollars in court fines. Guidelines call for a sentence of roughly six to seven years in prison, though the judge in the case will make the final decision.

In a separate filing on Friday, lawyers for the former congressman asked for a sentence of two years, the minimum allowed for aggravated identity theft, followed by probation. Santos has acknowledged the gravity of his crimes, and agreed to pay nearly $375,000 in restitution, according to the New York Times.

"His conduct, though involving dishonesty and abuse of trust, stemmed largely from a misguided desperation related to his political campaign, rather than inherent malice," his lawyers wrote.

Santos barely served a year in Congress, representing parts of Queens and Long Island, before being ousted for fabricating his resume. He had cast himself as a wealthy businessman who had graduated from top colleges, worked at prestigious Wall Street firms and held a valuable real estate portfolio. In truth, he was struggling financially and faced eviction.