Photo credit: www.yahoo.com
NEW YORK (AP) — Former U.S. Representative George Santos continues to exhibit a lack of remorse as he faces potential years behind bars for charges of fraud and identity theft, according to federal prosecutors. Their assertions are supported by a series of recent inflammatory social media posts made by Santos.
In a legal brief submitted on Thursday, prosecutors reinforced their case for a harsh sentence, stating that the 36-year-old Republican has described the U.S. Department of Justice as a “cabal of pedophiles,” simultaneously portraying himself as a target of unjust prosecution through multiple posts on the social media platform X.
Prosecutors emphasized, “This behavior contradicts the ‘genuine remorse’ suggested by Santos’s legal team. His actions are more revealing than his claims, demanding a substantial prison term in this situation.”
Efforts to obtain a response from Santos’s legal representatives regarding these claims have not been met with immediate acknowledgment.
Santos’ intensive social media activity began on April 4, following the submission of sentencing recommendations by both prosecutors and his attorneys as part of preparations for his April 25 court appearance in Long Island.
In one notable post, Santos declared, “No matter how hard the DOJ comes for me, they are mad because they will NEVER break my spirit,” demonstrating his defiance against prosecution.
In another post, he refuted allegations that campaign funds were used to purchase luxury items from Hermès, a point highlighted by prosecutors in their supporting documentation.
“Even at this stage, he outright refuses to take full responsibility for his actions,” the prosecutors pointed out in their filing, which incorporated screenshots of his posts.
The prosecution is advocating for a seven-year prison sentence, characterizing Santos’s offenses as having “made a mockery” of the electoral process.
They also raised concerns about Santos’s potential for reoffending, noting his failure to return any of the illicit gains or compensate his victims.
In contrast, Santos’s lawyers are requesting a two-year sentence, the mandatory minimum for aggravated identity theft, arguing that their client has no prior criminal history and that this request aligns with sentences given to other public figures like former U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. for similar financial crimes.
Santos acknowledged in August that he misled voters, cheated his donors, and misappropriated the identities of nearly a dozen individuals, including relatives, to fund his congressional campaign.
As part of a plea agreement, he consented to pay restitution of nearly $375,000 along with an additional $205,000 in forfeiture.
Elected in 2022 to represent parts of Queens and Long Island, Santos spent less than a year in office before being expelled by his House colleagues, marking only the sixth such case in the chamber’s history.
His political downfall unfolded as revelations surfaced regarding his fabricated personal narrative, prompting scrutiny of how this relatively unknown candidate managed to fund his successful campaign.
Santos had portrayed himself as a prosperous businessman associated with elite Wall Street firms and possessing a lucrative real estate portfolio, while in reality, he struggled financial difficulties, including eviction threats.
___
Follow Philip Marcelo at twitter.com/philmarcelo.
Source
www.yahoo.com