He is facing prison Former scandalous congressman George Santos pleads guilty

Republican George Santos has already had to vacate his congressional seat. By pleading guilty in court, he can prevent a trial. But how long will he have to spend in prison?

DPA

20.08.2024, 04:08

20.08.2024, 08:38

dpa

Former Republican congressman George Santos, who was thrown out of Congress for a series of lies and bizarre appearances, has pleaded guilty to fraud and identity theft. According to US media reports, the 36-year-old can thus avoid a trial that should have started next month. However, a prison sentence seems certain.

Santos is accused of a number of charges, including money laundering and embezzlement of public funds. Santos' rise to the federal political stage was overshadowed from the outset by allegations of fraud and deception. Among other things, he falsified a large part of the CV with which he presented himself to voters in 2022. In the course of the public uproar surrounding his person, more and more lies and outlandish episodes about Santos came to light.

The guilty plea in the US state of New York almost certainly means that Santos will have to go to prison after the sentence is handed down in February. He faces a minimum of two and a maximum of around 20 years in prison. He also accepted to pay more than 370,000 dollars in damages and showed remorse in court.

Trump supporter

Until his expulsion at the beginning of December 2023, the 35-year-old Santos had been a member of the US House of Representatives in a New York district for around a year and presented himself as a supporter of former US President Donald Trump. The House of Representatives expelled him by a clear vote due to the overwhelming accusations.