George Santos faces 20 years in prison in the US for fraud and embezzlement

The republican deputy, son of Brazilians, George Santoswas the target of 13 accusations by the US Department of Justice, which led to his surrender on Wednesday. Santos’ alleged crimes include fraud, money laundering, embezzlement and falsifying financial statements for the US Congress. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison, according to the US Department of Justice.

The heaviest sentence of the crimes he is accused of is electronic fraud, which can reach 20 years in prison. Other offenses carry lesser sentences. If Santos is convicted of more than one crime, it is up to the judge to serve concomitant sentences.

There were five counts of fraud. He reportedly developed a plan during the 2022 election in which he and a political adviser raised $50,000 from campaign donors like “independent expenses” which would be spent on advertising and television advertising. However, the money was transferred to a personal Santos account for luxury purchases and credit card payments.

The scheme to defraud campaign donors also yielded three money laundering charges, one for each of the illegal transfers, totaling $74,000.

^{Republican Deputy George Santos (Photo: Reproduction/Getty Images)}

Santos, is also the target of two other accusations of fraud for illegally receiving unemployment insurance from the New York government during the Covid-19 pandemic, receiving funds of more than US$ 24 thousand (R$ 118 thousand) in the same period. He worked for a finance company in Florida and earned $120,000 a year.

The same systemic fraud that landed Santos on government unemployment benefits also led to his being prosecuted for embezzlement.

George Santos is currently facing criminal prosecution in Brazil related to a suspected check fraud that allegedly took place in 2008. Court records show that Santos spent nearly US$700 (about R$3,400) at a store in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, using stolen check pads.

In 2010, he confessed to committing the theft, however, after his move to the United States, law enforcement authorities and prosecutors were unable to track him down, leading to the interruption of investigations. On Thursday, the same day that he will face the US Department of Justice, the Criminal Court II of Niterói will judge the case of embezzlement.

Featured photo: George Santos. Playback/Twitter