George Santos, who was expelled from the U.S. House of Representatives, arrives for the sentencing in his criminal corruption charges at Central Islip Federal Courthouse in Central Islip, New York, on April 25, 2025.
Shannon Stapleton | Reuters
Former Rep. George Santos, whose web of lies about his life led to his expulsion from Congress, was sentenced Friday to more than seven years in prison in his federal fraud case.
The New York Republican must also pay restitution of $373,750, a judge ruled in U.S. District Court in Long Island.
Santos admitted last August to engaging in a multipronged campaign finance scheme, stealing unemployment benefits during the Covid-19 pandemic and lying on House financial disclosure forms.
As part of an agreement with prosecutors, Santos pleaded guilty to a single count each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He also agreed to restitution and forfeiture totaling nearly $580,000.
Santos has asked Judge Joanna Seybert to sentence him to only the mandatory minimum of two years in prison. He argues that he accepted responsibility for his actions and cooperated with prosecutors.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York asked Seybert to sentence Santos to 87 months behind bars.
In a court filing last week, prosecutors told the judge that Santos’ recent series of defiant social media posts shows that “he remains unrepentant for his crimes.”