Former US Rep. George Santos pleads guilty to wire fraud, identity theft
CENTRAL ISLIP, Long Island (WABC) -- Former Congressman George Santos on Monday pleaded guilty to two counts - wire fraud and aggravated identity theft - and admitted he committed other crimes that could land him in prison for about seven years under the terms of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.
Sentencing was set for February 7.
Santos, in grey slacks and black sport coat, told the judge he is "committed to making amends and learning from this experience."
Santos pleaded guilty to charges that accused him of claiming relatives had made contributions to his campaign when in fact they had not. Santos conceded he was trying to meet the fundraising threshold to qualify for financial help from the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Santos also stipulated that he committed other fraud, including charging donor credit cards without authorization and convincing donors to give money by falsely stating the money would be used for TV ads.
He also stipulated that he stole public money by applying for and receiving unemployment benefits during the pandemic to which he was not entitled.
Santos conceded in a statement to the court his actions "betrayed" his constituents and others.
"I deeply regret my conduct and the harm it has caused," Santos told the Judge Joanna Seybert.
In addition to potential prison time, Santos must pay restitution of nearly $374,000 and a forfeiture of more than $200,000.
While he vowed to accept full responsibility for his conduct, Santos' lawyers flagged in the final moments of his plea hearing that the former congressman may not be able to pay over $200,000 in restitution.
Santos is required to pay the restitution 30 days before his sentencing and could face additional sanctions if he fails to pay in time.
"At this time, he does not have the money," said defense attorney Andrew Mancilla told federal judge Joanna Seybert.
Defense attorney Joseph Murray insisted that Santos would make his "best effort" to make the money over the next five months.
"We will see how it goes, but I see substantial problems if he can't comply," Seybert said before accepting Santos' plea. "That sounds like we just have to hope."
Santos faces a sentence of 75-87 months, including a mandatory minimum two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.
WATCH | US Attorney Breon Peace speaks out after Santos enters guilty plea:
"I am truly sorry," a tearful Santos said, reading a written statement outside federal court. "I can tell you I should have done things differently. It's clear to me now that I allowed ambition to cloud my judgment, leading me to make decisions that were unethical and guilty. Pleading guilty is a step I never imagined I'd take, but it is a necessary one because it is the right thing to do."
The guilty plea will avoid a trial that was scheduled to begin next month.
Hundreds of potential jurors had already been summoned.
Santos, who was expelled from the House of Representatives, faced 23 felony charges that accused him of defrauding donors, lying about his finances and needlessly accepting unemployment benefits among other things.
Santos has previously pleaded not guilty to a range of alleged financial crimes, including lying to Congress about his wealth, collecting unemployment benefits while actually working and using campaign contributions to pay for personal expenses.
The 36-year-old was once touted as a rising political star after he flipped the suburban district that covers the affluent North Shore of Long Island and a slice of the New York City borough of Queens in 2022.
But his life story began unraveling before he was even sworn into office. At the time, reports emerged that he had lied about having a career at top Wall Street firms and a college degree along with other questions of his biography.
New questions then emerged about his campaign funds.
He was first indicted on federal charges in May 2023, but refused to resign from office. Santos was expelled from Congress after an ethics investigation found "overwhelming evidence" that he had broken the law and exploited his public position for his own profit.
Santos had previously maintained his innocence, though he said in an interview in December that a plea deal with prosecutors was "not off the table."
The Associated Press and ABC News contributed to this report.
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