Prosecutors are advocating for a prison term exceeding seven years for the disgraced former congressman George Santos, who has admitted to federal fraud and identity theft charges. In a court filing on Friday, the US attorney for the eastern district of New York argued that a substantial sentence is justified due to Santos’s “unparalleled crimes” which have “made a mockery” of the nation’s election system. The filing details how Santos deceived various parties, including his campaign staff, supporters, employer, colleagues, and the public with a fabricated biography and through the theft of funds from vulnerable donors.

The proposal for an 87-month sentence aligns with the upper limit of sentencing guidelines for such offenses, which would translate to about four to five years in prison plus the mandatory minimum two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft. Santos’s legal team has not commented on the submissions for sentencing as of Friday, the deadline for both sides to present their memos to the court.

The hearing to determine Santos’s sentence is set for April 25, with a federal judge on Long Island to preside. Santos, who was voted out of his position in 2023—the sixth congressperson ever to be expelled from the House—misrepresented himself as a wealthy businessman with impressive academic and professional credentials, when in reality he was financially struggling.

As part of his plea deal, Santos agreed to pay restitution of nearly $375,000 and to forfeit $205,000. However, his profile has continued to profit from his notoriety, with earnings from appearances on Cameo and a documentary. Two of his former campaign staff members have also pleaded guilty to charges related to the campaign financing scheme.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/04/george-santos-prosecutors-campaign-fraud