(The Hill) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking a 7 year sentence for former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) according to a Friday filing.
Prosecutors said the length of the requested sentence — 87 months — reflects the serious nature of Santos’s “unparalleled” crimes.
“Santos planned and executed an assortment of fraudulent schemes and leveraged them and a fictious life story to enrich himself and capture one of the highest offices in the government of the United States,” DOJ attorneys wrote, according to court documents.
They added that the former congressman’s continued lies made a “mockery” of the U.S. election system. Santos originally denied allegations of wrongdoing when confronted by lawmakers after a scathing report from the House ethics committee but eventually pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft last year.
“From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santos’s unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives,” prosecutors wrote.
The legislator was ousted from his post in 2023, the same year he pleaded guilty to overarching crimes. He was ordered to pay $205,000 in forfeiture, in addition to $375,000 in restitution but still hasn’t submitted payments for either fine.
“Against that backdrop, moreover, Santos’s post-plea claims of remorse ring hollow. As of this writing, despite years of actively courting media attention and capitalizing on his infamy, Santos has forfeited nothing of his ill-gotten gains and has not repaid one cent to any of the victims of his financial crimes,” prosecutors wrote.
“The Court can and should find that this fact “demonstrate[s] a strong risk of recidivism and a lack of remorse for his conduct.”
A judge is expected to make a ruling regarding Santos’s sentencing on April 25.
