Former Congressman George Santos Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Wire Fraud and Identity Theft

George Santos leaves court after being sentenced to 78 months in prison

Disgraced former congressman George Santos was sentenced to seven years in prison for wire fraud and identity theft on Friday. Standing before Judge Joanna Seybert in federal court, Santos, 36, wore his signature outfit: a V-neck sweater over a white button-down shirt and tie, topped with a suit jacket. This time, however, he faced sentencing for a wide-ranging scheme that defrauded voters and misused donor funds.

Judge Seybert questioned Santos' lack of contrition, asking, “Where’s the remorse? Where do I see it?” before sentencing him to 87 months behind bars. Santos pleaded guilty in August to multiple charges, including defrauding voters, committing identity theft to fund his congressional campaign, wire fraud, stealing credit card information, and lying to the Federal Election Commission.

Despite admitting to the crimes, Santos spent recent months publicly attacking federal prosecutors on social media, portraying himself as a victim of prosecutorial overreach. Prosecutors described him as "unrepentant" with an "insatiable appetite for likes" on social media and urged the judge to hand down a seven-year sentence. Santos’ attorneys, by contrast, asked for only two years, arguing his crimes stemmed from "misguided desperation" rather than malice.

Santos was expelled by his colleagues in December 2023, becoming only the sixth congressman to be forcibly ousted from the House

Santos rose to political prominence after winning a Republican seat representing New York’s 3rd District. However, his political career quickly unraveled as reports emerged that he had fabricated significant aspects of his background. Santos falsely claimed he worked for Citigroup and Goldman Sachs and said he graduated from Baruch College, though there was no evidence supporting either claim.

Further investigations revealed Santos made a series of bizarre fabrications, including claims that his mother survived the September 11 terrorist attacks—despite immigration records showing she was not in the United States at the time. He also denied performing in drag despite photographic evidence and later minimized the situation by saying he merely had “fun at a festival.” Additionally, Santos misrepresented his religious background, falsely stating he was Jewish before correcting himself to say he was "Jew-ish" due to some distant Jewish ancestry. He also incorrectly claimed that his grandparents survived the Holocaust.

Santos solicited donations for a fake pet charity, Friends of Pets United, including $3,000 supposedly intended for a veteran’s dog's life-saving surgery, further contributing to his criminal record.

Santos, dressed allegedly as his drag queen persona, which he denied ever doing

In 2023, Santos faced 23 felony charges tied to three distinct schemes involving the misappropriation of political donations and fraudulent claims for government assistance. Although he initially pleaded not guilty, mounting evidence led to a guilty plea.

Santos remained in office until December 2023, when he was expelled from the House of Representatives following a damning House Ethics Committee report that concluded he had defrauded donors and used campaign funds for personal luxuries, including designer goods. Even after his ousting, Santos capitalized on his notoriety, launching a paid Cameo service and a podcast titled “Pants on Fire,” efforts aimed in part at helping pay off $580,000 in penalties, including court-ordered restitution.

Throughout his legal troubles and public downfall, Santos maintained a defiant and confident demeanor, often smiling and winking at cameras, but never offering a sincere admission of wrongdoing.