Former New York Congressman George Santos has been sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The 36-year-old Republican, once viewed as a promising political figure, received the full 87-month sentence requested by prosecutors — significantly more than the two years his defense attorneys had sought.
This ruling marks a dramatic end to Santos’s brief tenure in politics, which was marred by scandals involving deception, financial misconduct, and personal enrichment through campaign funds. He was expelled from Congress, becoming just the sixth lawmaker in U.S. history to face that penalty.
During his sentencing, Santos reportedly wept and apologized in court, telling the judge, “I can’t change the past, but I can choose how I move forward.” However, the judge expressed doubt about his remorse, remarking that Santos had secured his election “on a foundation of lies.”
Santos is expected to begin serving his sentence on July 25.
Federal investigators revealed that Santos misused campaign contributions for personal purchases, falsely obtained unemployment benefits, and used donor credit cards without their knowledge, accumulating more than $44,000 in unauthorized charges.
He also confessed to submitting false financial disclosures to both the Federal Election Commission and the House Ethics Committee. Alongside his prison sentence, he was ordered to pay more than $374,000 in restitution.
After his fall from grace, Santos attempted to raise money by selling personalized videos on the platform Cameo. Despite efforts to reshape his image, damaging revelations about his fabricated résumé and false personal claims continued to surface — including stories about a made-up college degree, bogus Wall Street jobs, and a fake narrative involving his mother and the September 11 attacks.
His lies first came to light through a New York Times report in 2022, sparking multiple investigations. He was eventually charged with 23 federal crimes, with some of the most egregious accusations including using campaign funds for Botox and adult content site subscriptions.
Despite being an outspoken supporter of former President Donald Trump, Santos has publicly said he won’t seek a presidential pardon. Still, he appeared to contradict himself during a podcast interview with Perez Hilton, admitting he might reconsider if given a lengthy prison term.