Disgraced former congressman George Santos faces more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to fraud and identity theft.
In a Friday court filing, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York ripped Santos for “greed” and said his “unparalleled crimes” had “made a mockery” of the country’s election system. The office argued that Santos should face a substantive prison sentence due to his “high likelihood of reoffending,” the Associated Press reported.
“From his creation of a wholly fictitious biography to his callous theft of money from elderly and impaired donors, Santos’s unrestrained greed and voracious appetite for fame enabled him to exploit the very system by which we select our representatives,” prosecutors wrote.
In an email, Santos’ lawyers said that the idea he would reoffend was “absurd and unfounded” and that his sentencing was “designed to beat up on a man that already took full responsibility for his actions,” according to the AP.
Santos’ lawyers are pushing for a two-year prison term—the mandatory minimum for aggravated identity theft. That sentence is in line with those handed to former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. and other political figures facing similar financial crimes, his lawyers said.
“This sentence, coupled with the significant collateral consequences Mr. Santos has already suffered—including the loss of his congressional seat and public humiliation—would send a clear message that such conduct will not be tolerated,” his lawyers wrote.
A federal judge is expected to decide Santos’ fate in a April 25 court hearing on Long Island.
