Former Representative George Santos has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison for his involvement in a series of felony fraud charges. On Friday (April 25), U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert handed down the sentence, which aligns with the expectations set prior to the hearing. Santos, a former Republican congressman from New York, faced charges including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and making false statements to the House of Representatives.

Santos's legal troubles began shortly after his election to Congress in December 2022, when he was exposed as having fabricated much of his personal history. The situation escalated when the Justice Department charged him with multiple crimes, including identity theft and unauthorized use of a supporter’s credit card for personal gain.

Despite initially pleading not guilty, Santos later reached a plea deal with prosecutors, admitting to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of the agreement, he also agreed to pay restitution. His expulsion from Congress marked a rare occurrence in American political history.

Prosecutors emphasized the seriousness of Santos's actions, urging the judge to impose a sentence that reflected the gravity of his crimes.

Santos himself acknowledged his likely prison term, telling The New York Times before sentencing, "Right now, my expectation is I’m going to prison for 87 months. I’m totally resigned."

Abby Bonell