1 of 4 | Former New York Rep. George Santos is reporting to prison Friday, to begin serving an 87-month sentence after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. File Photo by Julia Nikhinson/UPI | License Photo
Former New York Rep. George Santos is reporting to prison Friday, to begin serving an 87-month sentence after pleading guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.
It wasn’t immediately clear where the 37-year-old Republican would surrender and serve the more than seven-year prison sentence.
Santos pleaded guilty last August to the federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges.
This past April, a judge handed the former lawmaker the 87-month prison sentence with an additional two years of supervised release.
“My conduct betrayed my supporters and the institutions I swore to uphold,” Santos told the court at the time.
When initially arrested, Santos faced 23 charges including money laundering and theft of public funds. Authorities also accused him of making false statements to the House of Representatives and the Federal Election Commission while the two bodies were investigating him.
While in office, Santos repeatedly lied about his background and upbringing. Santos, who was one of the first openly gay Republicans elected to the House of Representatives also repeatedly lied during interviews about his education and experience while in office.
He was eventually expelled from Congress in 2023 after less than a year in office following a House Ethics Committee report.
“Well, darlings…The curtain falls, the spotlight dims, and the rhinestones are packed,” Santos said on X, quoting singer Frank Sinatra’s hit song “My Way.”
“From the halls of Congress to the chaos of cable news what a ride it’s been! Was it messy? Always. Glamorous? Occasionally. Honest? I tried…most days. To my supporters: You made this wild political cabaret worth it. To my critics: Thanks for the free press.”
Santos’ account now says it will be managed by friends and family as of Friday.
“I may be leaving the stage (for now), but trust me legends never truly exit,” he wrote.
Santos did touch on the possibility of receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump, during a conversation on X Spaces Thursday.
“The only person that could answer that question is, you know, whoever the President of the United States is — in this case, President Donald Trump,” Santos said.
