Prosecutors seek 7-year prison sentence for George Santos in sweeping fraud case

Federal prosecutors are urging a judge to sentence disgraced gay former New York Congressman George Santos to more than seven years in prison, calling him a “pathological liar and fraudster” who “made a mockery of our election system.”

In a sentencing memo filed Friday, the Justice Department recommended a seven-year and three-month sentence for Santos, who pleaded guilty last year to felony wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He is set to be sentenced on April 25 in the Eastern District of New York.

The government laid out in sweeping detail Santos’s “assortment of fraudulent schemes,” from stealing the identities of elderly donors to submitting falsified campaign finance documents and fabricating most of his biography. Prosecutors said Santos exploited “the very system by which we select our representatives,” using lies “to enrich himself and capture one of the highest offices in the government of the United States.”

Santos was expelled from Congress in December 2023 following a blistering House Ethics Committee report that found he used campaign funds for personal luxuries and repeatedly lied to the public. Among the many fabrications, Santos falsely claimed degrees from Baruch College and New York University and jobs at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup.

In justifying the lengthy sentence, prosecutors said Santos “preyed on… vulnerable victims” and repeatedly escalated his behavior, even after being confronted. “When others confronted him with suspicions of deceit… Santos, without fail, has doubled down, disclaiming any wrongdoing and creating new deceptions,” prosecutors wrote.

The filing revealed that Santos charged thousands of dollars to the credit cards of elderly donors, some with dementia or cognitive impairments. He also stole $100,000 from a supporter by funneling it through a fake nonprofit, then spent the money on luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas.

In a separate sentencing memorandum submitted Friday, Santos’s legal team asked the court to impose a sentence of just 24 months in prison, followed by probation. They said Santos has “accepted full responsibility for his actions” and argued that “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 attorneys called the recommended sentence excessive and claimed it would create “an unwarranted disparity compared to sentences imposed on similarly situated defendants convicted of comparable white-collar and political fraud offenses.” They also said Santos has suffered “significant collateral consequences,” including “the loss of his congressional seat and public humiliation,” and claimed he poses a low risk of reoffending.

Santos’s team added that he has provided “significant financial and emotional support” to his sister and her young daughter with severe disabilities and noted that his incarceration would cause “severe hardship” for his family.

The memo also highlighted Santos’s cooperation in a separate federal investigation in which he helped prosecutors pursue a man accused of attempting to bribe him. “Mr. Santos’s proactive assistance in bringing another offender to justice underscores a fundamental respect for the law,” his lawyers wrote.

“Given his public disgrace and removal from Congress, he is unlikely to commit similar offenses in the future in the unlikely event he finds himself in the position to do so,” they added.

Despite claims of remorse, the government said Santos has “forfeited nothing and has not repaid one cent to any of the victims.” Instead, he has attempted to profit from his notoriety by launching a podcast and earning over $350,000 from Cameo videos.

Calling Santos “a significant future danger to the community,” prosecutors urged the court to impose a sentence that reflects the “breadth, scope, and predatory nature” of his crimes.

The Advocate contacted Santos for comment. He did not immediately respond.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.