Former Congressman George Santos Pleads Guilty in Federal Fraud Case

Former U.S. Rep. George Santos arrives at court in Central Islip, N.Y., on Aug. 19, 2024. Stefan Jeremiah/AP Photo

Former Republican Rep. George Santos has entered a guilty plea in the federal fraud case that upended his brief tenure representing New York in Congress.

Santos, 36, appeared in court in Central Islip, New York, on Aug. 19 and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.

The two charges combined carry a maximum sentence of 22 years in prison, although the judge in the case has indicated that the likely sentence could range from six and eight years. The sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2025.

The former lawmaker also has been ordered to pay $397,750 in restitution and a forfeiture of $205,003.

“I deeply regret my conduct and the harm it has caused and accept full responsibility for my actions,” Santos said in a statement read to the court.

Santos was elected in 2022 to represent New York’s Third Congressional District. Just months after taking office, he faced accusations from federal prosecutors of multiple financial misdeeds associated with his congressional campaign, including lying to Congress about his wealth, using campaign funds to cover his personal expenses, making unauthorized charges on campaign donors’ credit cards, and fraudulently collecting unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first-term congressman initially pleaded not guilty and refused to resign from office. He was eventually expelled from Congress after a House Ethics panel released a report saying there was “overwhelming evidence” that he had broken the law and sought to exploit his public position for his own profit.

In a historic vote on Dec. 1, 2023, nearly all Democrats joined more than 100 Republicans to approve a resolution for his expulsion. He is the sixth congressman ever to be ousted by fellow lawmakers.

Santos spent much of his 11 months in office engulfed in legal troubles and other controversies, including allegations that he fabricated parts of his past, from his family history and educational background to his employment experience.

The last measure that he introduced in Congress was a resolution to expel Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) for pulling a fire alarm to allegedly obstruct a House proceeding.

New York’s Third District spans the northern part of the Queens borough of New York City to the North Shore of Long Island. Voters chose Tom Suozzi, a Democrat, to fill the seat in a special election in February.

In March, Santos announced a bid to challenge Republican Rep. Nick LaLota in New York’s First Congressional District as an independent, only to abandon that plan a month later.

“I don’t want my run to be portrayed as reprisal against Nick Lalota,” he wrote on social media platform X. “Although Nick and I don’t have the same voting record and I remain critical of his abysmal record, I don’t want to split the ticket and be responsible for handing the house to Dems.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.