The Republican of New York, son of Brazilian immigrants, declared himself guilty last summer for federal electronic fraud and aggravated identity theft
Former Republican New York deputy George Santos, who falsified his life story and deceived and stole donors, was sentenced to more than seven years in prison on Friday.
The New York Republican, son of Brazilian immigrants, who acted in Congress for just a year before his colleagues expelled him in 2023, was guilty last summer for federal electronic fraud and aggravated identity theft.
The former policy admitted to deceiving donors and stolen the identities of almost a dozen people, including members of his family, to finance his victorious campaign. As part of a court agreement, Santos agreed to pay about 580,000 dollars (about 510,000 euros) of compensation, as well as serving the prison sentence.
Santos, 36, did not answer questions asked in the distance by reporters while entering the Long Island Court, but told The Associated Press news agency on Thursday that he is resigned to his destination.
“I’m doing my best that any human being could do, given the circumstances,” Santos wrote in a text message on Thursday, adding that he was “ready to face music.”
The Public Prosecution Service (MP) has requested seven years in prison for Santos, arguing that in recent legal proceedings, among other things, it did not show genuine remorse for what it did.
The MP cites recent comments that the former deputy made in the media, in which he presents himself as a victim of abuse of the prosecutor.
In a letter addressed to court this week, Santos emphasized that he remains “deeply sorry” for his crimes, but said that the sentence proposed by the MP is very severe.
Santos lawyers have requested a sentence of two years in prison, which is the mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft.
Also arguing that this penalty is comparable to the sentences applied to former Deputy Jesse Jackson Jr. and other political figures convicted of similar financial crimes.
Santos was elected in 2022, changing a rich district representing parts of Queens and Long Island to the Republican Party.
Soon after, it was revealed that the political unknown had manufactured much of the history of his life, presenting himself as a successful entrepreneur who worked in Wall Street prestigious companies and had a valuable real estate portfolio.
In fact, Santos had financial difficulties and was dumped. The revelations led to criminal and congress investigations on how he had funded his campaign.
As his sentence approached, Santos was reflective in publications on social networks, thanking both his supporters and his detractors.
“I learned that, regardless of left, right or center, we are all human and, most of the time, Americans (lol) and we have a superpower that I value, which is compassion,” he wrote on Thursday on the social platform X. “For the trolls … well, you are an impactful part of the way people mold, and you all made me much stronger and made my skin thicker!”
