Federal prosecutor urged judges to punish a former embarrassment of US representatives, George Santos to seven years and three months in prison, calling his behavior as a “insolent fraud network” who deceived donors, misleading voters, and triggered his political increase through lies, theft, and identity fraud.
The government outlines the level of Santos fraud activities in all 2020 and 2022 election cycles in detailed sentences submitted on Friday.
Prosecutors accused Santos, 35, with the help of a former Treasurer of the Nancy Marks campaign, falsifying the submission of the Federal Election Commission, making donor contributions and puffing out the total fundraising to meet the $ 250,000 threshold needed to join the National Congress Committee (NRCC) Young Weapons Program (NRCC). Marks pleaded guilty and waited for sentences in June.
When it was told that he had not yet reached the NRCC benchmark, Santos sent an SMS to a colleague, “We will do this a little different. I get it.”
The “different” approach includes sending fake contributions associated with family members, fictitious individuals and even identities stolen from the supporters of the elderly, according to the submission.
Rep. George Santos walked to the Republican house room in Capitol, 28 November 2023.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Image
Together, Santos runs a cheating political consultant company, Redstone Strategies LLC, wrongly presented it as a registered PAC Super or 501 (C) (4) Non -profit. That is not both, according to the prosecutor.
The prosecutor said Santos used Redstone to wash donors, maintain the commission and fund private expenses. In one scheme, he uses the old women’s credit cards provided for one-time-donated donations to charge $ 12,000 through the Redstone trader account, recruiting herself $ 11,580 after fees. He put money directly into his personal bank account.
When asked by his business partner, Santos lied, claiming the woman – who suffered a brain injury – was a consultation client, according to the submission. Between February and August 2022, the prosecutor said Santos used his credit card repeatedly, connecting his donations, his daughter, or fictitious name.
Another victim, referred to as “Individual 2” in the submission, has their credit card charged at least five times in March 2022, with a total of more than $ 30,000 in the contribution of fake campaigns, including some that are associated with Uncle Santos and people who do not exist. This donation is strategically transferred to another campaign which is a Redstone client, ensuring Santos gets a financial kickback while increasing his political visibility.
In July 2020, he used another victim’s credit card to contribute $ 28,400 for his own campaign, some with the name of a private friend who did not contribute or give approval, according to the submission.
In April 2022, the prosecutor said Santos mistakenly reported a $ 500,000 private loan for his campaign, allowing him to boast of the results of $ 800,000 Q1 fundraising. He approved a press release that promoted lies and submitted a narrative in a conversation with the leaders of the Republican, including a member of the sitting congress. According to the prosecution, the loan never existed.
The lie, combined with the submission of the treated FEC and the resume made -made claim the title of NYU and Jobs in Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, helped Santos secure the status of young weapons from NRCC in June 2022.
However, in the fall of 2022, the campaign staff found the truth. When dealing with a loan that does not exist, Santos admitted that it was not real and rushed to fill in the gap by asking for a loan of $ 450,000 from a donor called “Individual 1” in the submission. Santos delivered $ 400,000 for his campaign, never reported it to FEC, and never paid donors. He covered the remaining $ 100,000 by abusing more funds from the same donor through Redstone.
Santos was expelled from the Congress in December 2023 and had claimed to be guilty of wire fraud and exacerbated identity fraud.
The defender’s lawyer said that in their own memo Santos deserved no more than two years in prison, on the grounds that he “accepted full responsibility for his actions.”
“This request is not just a confession of guilt,” Santos told reporters in August. “This is a recognition that I must be held accountable like other Americans who violate the law.”
The sentence of the former member of the congress was on April 30.