Former US Representative George Santos Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Prison for Fraud and Identity Theft

Former US Representative George Santos has been sentenced to over 7 years in prison for fraud and identity theft. The disgraced politician, who pleaded guilty last summer to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert on Friday.

Santos appeared in court through tears, apologizing and saying he had betrayed his constituents' trust. However, Judge Seybert seemed unconvinced, asking where she saw remorse and stating that Santos seemed to think it's always someone else's fault.

"I offer my deepest apologies," Santos said. "I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead."

Santos was sentenced to 87 months behind bars. As part of a plea deal, he has agreed to pay around $580,000 in penalties in addition to prison time.

The 36-year-old politician served in Congress for barely a year before being ousted by his House colleagues in 2023. He admitted to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of nearly a dozen people, including family members, to fund his winning campaign.

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

Prosecutors had sought seven years in federal prison for Santos, arguing that he remains unrepentant and has not shown genuine remorse. They cited recent comments Santos made on social media, in which he cast himself as a victim of prosecutorial overreach.

Santos' lawyers had called for a two-year prison stint, which is the mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft. They argued that such a penalty was comparable to sentences handed to former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and other political figures convicted of similar financial crimes.

Santos was elected in 2022, flipping a wealthy district representing parts of Queens and Long Island for the GOP. However, it was soon revealed that he 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.