Prosecutors are looking for greater than seven years in jail for disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos after he pleaded responsible to federal fraud and id theft prices.
The U.S. Lawyer for the Jap District of New York argued in a court docket submitting Friday {that a} important sentence was warranted as a result of the New York Republican’s “unparalleled crimes” had “made a mockery” of the nation’s election system.
“From his creation of an entirely fictitious biography to his callous theft of cash from aged and impaired donors, Santos’s unrestrained greed and voracious urge for food for fame enabled him to take advantage of the very system by which we choose our representatives,” the workplace wrote.
Prosecutors additionally 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 net of lies was debunked.
They stated his claims of regret after pleading responsible “ring hole” and suggested he has a “high likelihood of reoffending” given he has not forfeited any of his ill-gotten features or repaid any of his victims.
In their very own sentencing memo Friday, they rejected the notion that Santos will fall again into prison habits, noting he has no prior prison report and in addition supplies “crucial” help to his sister and her younger daughter.
They argued for a two-year jail time period, which is the obligatory minimal sentence for aggravated id theft.
The legal professionals preserve such a sentence is in keeping with these handed to former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and different political figures going through related monetary crimes.
In addition they touted Santos’ cooperation in a separate federal investigation right into a Texas man who tried to dupe Santos out of almost $1 million by posing as a political fixer providing to destroy proof in his circumstances.
“This sentence, coupled with the significant collateral consequences Mr. Santos has already suffered — including the loss of his congressional seat and public humiliation — would send a clear message that such conduct will not be tolerated,” the legal professionals wrote.
A federal decide on Lengthy Island is scheduled to determine Santos’ sentence throughout a court docket listening to April 25.
The once-rising Republican, who represented components of Queens and Lengthy Island, served barely a yr in workplace earlier than he was ousted by his Home colleagues in 2023, simply the sixth congressperson ever expelled within the chamber’s historical past.
Santos’ political demise got here after it was revealed that he had fabricated a lot of his life story, resulting in questions on how the political unknown had funded his successful marketing campaign.
The now-36-year-old forged himself as a rich businessman who had graduated from high schools, labored at prestigious Wall Road corporations and held a helpful actual property portfolio. In reality, he was struggling financially and confronted eviction.
Santos admitted in August that he duped voters, deceived donors and stole the identities of almost a dozen individuals, together with his circle of relatives members, to make donations to his congressional marketing campaign.
He was initially on account of be sentenced in February, however a decide granted him a three-month reprieve to provide you with greater than half 1,000,000 {dollars} in court docket fines.
As a part of his plea deal, Santos agreed to pay almost $375,000 in restitution and $205,000 in forfeiture.
Santos’ legal professionals stated on the time that he had little greater than $1,000 in liquid belongings and wanted extra time to construct his newly launched podcast “Pants on Fire” with the intention to start paying off the debt.
Prosecutors preserve Santos profited handsomely from his infamy, arguing he has earned greater than $800,000 from appearances on the video-sharing web site Cameo and from a brand new documentary since his expulsion from Congress.
Two of Santos’ marketing campaign staffers have additionally pleaded responsible to federal prices in connection to the marketing campaign financing scheme.
Sam Miele, his former marketing campaign fundraiser, was sentenced in March to at least one yr and someday in federal jail. He admitted to impersonating a high-ranking congressional aide and charging donors’ bank cards with out authorization whereas elevating marketing campaign money for Santos.
Nancy Marks, Santos’ former marketing campaign treasurer, admitted to submitting bogus marketing campaign finance experiences stuffed with faux donors and a faux $500,000 private mortgage from Santos himself.
The gildings helped the marketing campaign hit fundraising thresholds wanted to qualify for monetary backing from the nationwide Republican Get together. Marks is because of be sentenced in Might.
