The former United States representative, George Santos, was sentenced to more than seven years in the Federal Prison, the maximum he faced, on Friday after declaring himself guilty of a series of fraudulent schemes.
The American district judge Joanna Seybert sentenced him to 87 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised liberation.
A crying Santos told the judge to let the voters who supported his 2022 career for Congress before she issued the sentence.
Former representative George Santos arrives at the Federal Court by Judgment, on April 25, 2025, in the center of Islip, New York, New York
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
“My conduct betrayed my supporters and the institutions that I swore,” he said during his sentence hearing in a federal court in New York.
He began to cry and fought to get the words while trying to express the remorse for the crimes he committed.
“I used faith in the same institutions that I swore,” he said. “I can’t rewrite the past, but I can control the way ahead.”
He urged Seybert to impose an indulgent prayer, arguing that he can positively contribute to the community that “stole.”
The judge rebukes the repeated lies of Santos
Santos, 36, was convicted of cable fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faced a sentence of 75 to 87 months in prison, including a minimum mandatory sentence for aggravated identity theft.
Santos asked no questions of journalists when he arrived at the Federal Court in the center of Islip for the judgment hearing on Friday morning.
His lawyer, Andrew Mancilla, described the behavior of his client without Rodeos, arguing that the former congressman is “stained forever” for his actions.
“Everyone hates George Santos,” Mancilla told the court before the sentence, claiming that his client is not the “cartoon drawn by the media.”
“He is a 36 -year -old gay man without a criminal record who came from a broken family,” Mancilla said. “He built this ego of a man who wanted to be, not who he was.”
Former representative George Santos arrives at the Federal Court by Judgment, on April 25, 2025, in the center of Islip, New York, New York
Julia DeMaree Nikhinson/AP
But prosecutors argued that Santos has shown little remorse for their crimes, blamed the Department of Justice and committed a series of “unprecedented” crimes.
“He has committed crime after the crime after a crime,” American prosecutor Ryan Harris said. “He has repeatedly demonstrated that he cannot tell the truth.”
Harris rebuked Santos for suggesting that the Prosecutor’s Office was politically motivated and argued that the former congressman has demonstrated a “genuine fault of contrition.”
“This case is not the product of the so -called law. It is the result of years and years of deception,” he said.
Seybert agreed, calling Santos for his repeated lies and his lack of remorse.
“It’s incredible not to stop with lies,” he said. “It’s amazing now that he tries to blame the government.”
Before imposing his prayer, Seybert said he has “sympathy” by Santos, he believes he is a talented man and hopes that he will eventually contribute to society.
“Mr. Santos, the words have consequences,” he said, pointing out the same words that won a seat in Congress took him to court.
“You have a future, and I am sad to say in a sense that will be shortened by the prayer that I am about to impose,” he added.
While the prayer was read, Santos covered his face with his hands.
He was not sent immediately and will inform prison on a future date.
Prosecutors highlight ‘Blitz Social Networks’
In a judicial presentation before the sentence hearing on Friday in Long Island, federal prosecutors requested the maximum possible sentence, which amounts to seven years and three months, calling their conduct a “shameless network of deception” that defrauded donors and deceived voters.
They also argued that the recent “social media bombing” of the former New York congressman shows that “remains impenitent for his crimes” in a subsequent presentation. In an example, prosecutors pointed out a publication of April 4 in Santos X account that declared: “No matter how much the Department of Justice comes, they are angry because they will never break my spirit.” The publication was made the same day that the Department of Justice presented its initial recommendation of sentence.
Santos, meanwhile, insisted on a letter to Seybert this week that has “accepted full responsibility” for his crimes. He said it can be “deeply unfortunate” and upset by the recommendation of the Department of Justice of a long prison sentence.
“But saying that I am sorry, it does not require that I feel silent while these prosecutors try to drop an anvil on my head. The real remorse is not mute; he is aware of himself and speaks when the penalty scale jumps to the absurd,” Santos said.
Santos included a selective graph to suggest that the government’s recommendation is out of tune with other political prosecutions, citing the former Illinois representative Jesse L. Jackson Jr., being sentenced to 30 months for improper use of $ 750,000 in campaign funds or the former New York representative, Michael Grimm, which is sentenced to eight months for hiding $ 900,000 in Wage E taxes.
Santos had asked for a two -year prison sentence.
Former representative George Santos arrives at the Federal Court by Judgment, on April 25, 2025, in the center of Islip, New York, New York
Julia DeMaree Nikhinson/AP
The former campaign treasurer will be condemned
The prosecutors alleged Santos, with the help of their former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, falsified presentations of the Federal Electoral Commission, manufacturing donor contributions and inflating the total collection of funds to comply with the threshold of $ 250,000 required to join the “Young Canons” program of the National Committee of the Republican Congress.
Marks declared himself guilty of a federal conspiracy charge in 2023 and is waiting for the sentence in May.
Santos declared himself guilty in August 2024. The Republican was expelled from Congress in December 2023.
As part of its guilt agreement, it agreed to pay almost $ 600,000 in restitution and confiscation.
The judge agreed to delay the judgment of Santos, which had initially been scheduled for February 7, after Santos requested more time to earn money with his podcast to satisfy his restitution and loss.
Members of the concerned citizens of NY-03, an organization formed in 2023 by voters from the entire Santos region represented once in response to their actions, spoke after the audience.
“My reaction when sitting in the courtroom was: ‘Cry Me A River’, when he received that prayer,” said Jody Kass Finkel, head of Citizens worried about NY-03, outside the court. “It has betrayed public trust.”
