CNN
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Disgraced former Rep. George Santos was sentenced Friday to 87 months in jail for aggravated identification theft and wire fraud fees stemming from fraudulent exercise throughout his 2022 midterm marketing campaign.
The decide dominated he should give up by July 25.
Santos was sobbing within the courtroom on Friday and mentioned he “betrayed the boldness entrusted in me” whereas giving a quick assertion to the decide.
“I can not rewrite the previous, however I can management the highway forward, I’ve tried my greatest,” Santos mentioned.
New York State Division of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon spoke out towards Santos relating to unemployment advantages he took out throughout Covid-19 on the sentencing, saying he had “callous disregard for New Yorkers” and “his crimes weren’t victimless.”
US District Decide Joanna Seybert additionally mentioned she obtained one letter from somebody in Santos’ former district who was “outraged” in regards to the fraud he dedicated on the voting public.
Santos’ protection requested for the minimal two-year sentence, saying in courtroom that Santos is a 36-year-old homosexual man from a damaged residence and “constructed an alter ego that he confirmed the world.”
Prosecutors outlined how he stole cash, stole identities and spent cash on holidays and designer garments of their claims on why the previous congressman deserved the complete 87-month sentence.
“He rose to one of many highest places of work within the land on a wave of lies,” mentioned Assistant US Lawyer Ryan Harris. He mentioned Santos not solely lied nevertheless it was the “extravagance alongside the way in which along with his lies.”
Seybert identified Santos was creating wealth from social media appearances, a documentary and podcasts, and he or she discovered it “unimaginable” that he didn’t open up a financial savings account to pay again restitution and that he stored up with the lies and continued responsible the federal government.
The sentencing marks a downfall for the previous New York Republican congressman who pleaded guilty in August. On the time, he was additionally ordered to pay restitution of $373,000 as a part of an settlement.
The Justice Division sought a greater than seven-year jail sentence for Santos, whereas he requested the courtroom for the minimal sentence of two years.
Santos, who represented elements of Lengthy Island and Queens throughout his transient and scandal-plagued tenure in Congress, was expelled from the Home in late 2023 after the Home Ethics Committee released a report of extra “uncharged and illegal conduct” by Santos.
Past the report, he had sparked shock and controversy on Capitol Hill over revelations that he fabricated massive elements of his life story and was additionally dealing with practically two dozen federal fees, together with allegations of fraud associated to Covid-19 unemployment advantages, misusing marketing campaign funds and mendacity about his private funds on Home disclosure reviews.
The embattled former lawmaker survived earlier makes an attempt to take away him from workplace and initially pleaded not responsible to the fees in 2023.
He tried to run in one other New York district as an impartial final 12 months earlier than ending his congressional bid after roughly a month and later pleaded responsible simply weeks earlier than the ex-congressman was set to face trial on the federal fees.
This story has been up to date with extra particulars.
