Former U.S. Congressman George Anthony Devolder Santos was sentenced Friday to 87 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a series of sweeping fraud schemes that included wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, false campaign filings, and unemployment insurance fraud. Judge Joanna Seybert handed down the sentence in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
In addition to the prison term, Santos, 36, was ordered to pay $373,749.97 in restitution and forfeit $205,002.97. The sentencing caps a spectacular political downfall for the former representative from New York’s Third Congressional District, who has admitted to defrauding donors, misrepresenting campaign finances, stealing identities, and lying to federal agencies and the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Today, George Santos was finally held accountable for the mountain of lies, theft, and fraud he perpetrated,” said U.S. Attorney John J. Durham in a statement following the sentencing. “This prosecution speaks to the truth that our office will aggressively root out public corruption and ensure those who abuse our electoral system face justice.”
A Web of Deceit
According to court documents, Santos’s criminal conduct spanned multiple schemes:
Falsified Campaign Filings
In an effort to qualify for financial backing from a national party committee during the 2022 election cycle, Santos and his campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, submitted fake campaign finance reports to the Federal Election Commission (FEC). They falsely claimed that family members had contributed large sums of money to the campaign. They also fabricated a $500,000 personal loan from Santos to the campaign—despite the fact that Santos had less than $8,000 in his accounts at the time.
Credit Card Fraud and Identity Theft
Between 2020 and 2022, Santos used stolen donor information to make unauthorized credit card charges, funneling the funds into campaign accounts, other political campaigns, and his own bank accounts. Prosecutors said he deliberately targeted elderly individuals and misrepresented the origin of donations in FEC filings, sometimes listing relatives or associates as donors.
Fraudulent Political Donations Scheme
During his 2022 campaign, Santos created a shell company and solicited $50,000 from two donors under the false pretense that the funds would support campaign advertising. Instead, the money was transferred into Santos’s personal accounts and spent on designer clothes, debt payments, and cash withdrawals.
Unemployment Fraud
Santos fraudulently collected over $24,000 in unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor despite being employed at a Florida-based investment firm. He continued to file weekly claims between 2020 and 2021, while also campaigning for office.
False Congressional Disclosures
As required by law, Santos submitted financial disclosures to the House of Representatives in connection with his candidacy. In these documents, he falsely reported hundreds of thousands of dollars in income and millions in assets. He failed to disclose actual sources of income, including earnings from his former employer and the fraudulent unemployment benefits.
Officials React
Federal and local officials were united in their condemnation of Santos’s actions.
“George Santos blatantly disregarded campaign finance laws and abused the trust of his constituents and contributors,” said Harry T. Chavis Jr., Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New York. “While he may have made a mockery of his position in public office, today’s sentencing is justice for those he has wronged.”
Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly added, “George Santos spent his brief career in public service conning his donors and constituents until the deceit caught up to him. Today’s lengthy prison sentence is a just ending for a weaver of lies who believed he was above the law.”
Broad Investigation
The prosecution was led by the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division. The investigation included contributions from the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and the New York State Department of Labor.
A Fall from Power
Once a rising political figure, Santos’s story has become a cautionary tale about corruption in public office. His conviction, and now his sentencing, closes a chapter marked by deception, greed, and a staggering betrayal of public trust.
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