April 25 (UPI) — Former New York Rep. George Santos got more than seven years in prison Friday on federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft convictions. He must pay $373,000 in restitution.
U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert sentenced a tearful Santos to 87 months in prison and two years of supervised release.
Santos told the court, “My conduct betrayed my supporters and the institutions I swore to uphold.”
Santos committed wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as he conned and defrauded supporters while using stolen identities and endless lies to get elected to Congress.
Prosecutors dismissed Santos’ teary expressions of remorse at the sentencing and said he is a “pathological liar” who has no real remorse.
At sentencing prosecutors said “It is abundantly clear that, without a substantial deterrent, Santos will continue to deceive and defraud for years to come. That is especially true given Santos’s craven efforts to leverage his lawbreaking as a springboard to celebrity and riches.”
Santos’ defense lawyers argued for a two-year sentence.
In a court filing they said, “His conduct, though involving dishonesty and abuse of trust, stemmed largely from a misguided desperation related to his political campaign, rather than inherent malice.”
On his podcast earlier this month Santos was asked if would ask President Donald Trump for a pardon and he replied, “You bet your sweet a– I would.”
Prior to sentencing, the former Republican congressman told The New York Times he expected U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert to hand down a sentence closer to what federal prosecutors have requested and that he was resigned to it.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York argued Santos should serve an 87-month sentence for “unparalleled crimes.”
“Right now, my expectation is I’m going to prison for 87 months. I’m totally resigned,” Santos told The Times in a phone interview before Friday’s sentencing.
Santos last August pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to using donor money to purchase designer clothing, Botox injections and OnlyFans subscriptions and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission.
He previously admitted to committing wire fraud in 2022.
Santos’ legal team had argued the 36-year-old should serve no more than the necessary 24-month minimum prison sentence.
“What I hope happens tomorrow is that the judge is fair, balanced, and even. And, unlike federal prosecutors who are trying to drop a anchor on my head … she is a lot more matter-of-fact and doesn’t take this … in a personal direction,” Santos said during a Thursday phone interview with former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, now a host with One America News Network.
Earlier in the week, Santos penned a letter to the judge in which he “accepted full responsibility.”
In a court filing Friday, prosecutors countered that Santos was not remorseful, citing social media messages related to his treatment by the Justice Department.
Santos told Gaetz he expects to serve the entirety of any prison sentence in solitary confinement because he fears for his safety.
“So it is definitely not an easy task, and it’s a monumental one to do,” he said during the interview.
Santos maintained innocence until days before his 2024 guilty plea.
In December 2023, the House of Representatives expelled Santos from Congress after serving less than a year. He later opened and then quickly dropped a bid to be elected in a different district.
Santos is the sixth member ever expelled from the House.