(NEW YORK) -- Disgraced former Congressman George Santos asked a judge on Friday to delay his sentencing in his federal fraud case.
Santos is currently scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7 in Central Islip, New York, after pleading guilty to federal fraud, campaign finance and embezzlement charges.
His attorneys asked the judge to postpone the sentencing by six months, until August, to give Santos more time to make money so he can meet the nearly $600,000 he owes in restitution and forfeiture, according to a new court filing.
"Mr. Santos now has a viable path to making meaningful progress on satisfying his obligations," his lawyers stated in a motion filed on Friday, citing the launch of a new podcast, "Pants on Fire with George Santos."
Federal prosecutors did not immediately respond, though the defense noted that the government opposes a delay.
The former New York representative pleaded guilty in August to claiming relatives had made contributions to his campaign when, in fact, they had not. Santos conceded he was trying to meet the fundraising threshold to qualify for financial help from the National Republican Congressional Committee.
He told reporters at the time that the guilty plea was the "right thing to do."
"This plea is not just an admission of guilt," Santos said. "It's an acknowledgment that I need to be held accountable like any other American that breaks the law."
Santos also stipulated that he committed other fraud, including charging donor credit cards without authorization and convincing donors to give money by falsely stating the money would be used for TV ads. He also stipulated he stole public money by applying for and receiving unemployment benefits during the pandemic to which he was not entitled.
Santos conceded in a statement to the court his actions "betrayed" his constituents and others.
He faces a sentence of 75-87 months, including a mandatory minimum two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.
He also must pay restitution of nearly $374,000 and forfeiture of more than $200,000.
Santos' lawyers flagged in the final moments of his plea hearing on Aug. 19 that the former congressman may not be able to pay over $200,000 in restitution.
He is required to pay the restitution 30 days before his sentencing on Feb. 7 and could face additional sanctions if he fails to pay in time.
Santos represented New York's 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Queens and Nassau counties, beginning in January 2023, before being expelled from Congress on Dec. 1, 2023.
(NEW YORK) -- The fund disbursing money to the victims of Bernie Madoffâs legendary Ponzi scheme began its 10th and final distribution on Monday, putting another $131 million in the pockets of swindled investors.
Twenty-three thousand victims worldwide are receiving payments, bringing their total recoveries to 94% of their losses. Most of these victims were small investors who lost less than $500,000 in the fraud, according to federal prosecutors.
Since the collapse of Madoffâs investment house and his 2009 guilty plea, the Madoff Victim Fund has paid more than $4 billion to nearly 41,000 victims in 127 countries.
âThis office has never stopped pursuing justice for victims of historyâs largest Ponzi scheme,â acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said.
For decades, Madoff used the investment advisory business he founded in 1960 to steal billions from his clients, turning his wealth management firm into the worldâs largest Ponzi scheme to benefit himself, his family and select members of his inner circle.
He was sentenced to 150 years in prison, where he died in 2021.
"The unprecedented scope and complexity of the Madoff remission process shows the power of forfeiture to recover assets and to compensate victims," Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent Wible said in a statement on Monday.
George Santos seeks sentencing delay in federal fraud case
Posted/updated on:
January 3, 2025 at
11:11 pm
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
(NEW YORK) -- Disgraced former Congressman George Santos asked a judge on Friday to delay his sentencing in his federal fraud case.
Santos is currently scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7 in Central Islip, New York, after pleading guilty to federal fraud, campaign finance and embezzlement charges.
His attorneys asked the judge to postpone the sentencing by six months, until August, to give Santos more time to make money so he can meet the nearly $600,000 he owes in restitution and forfeiture, according to a new court filing.
"Mr. Santos now has a viable path to making meaningful progress on satisfying his obligations," his lawyers stated in a motion filed on Friday, citing the launch of a new podcast, "Pants on Fire with George Santos."
Federal prosecutors did not immediately respond, though the defense noted that the government opposes a delay.
The former New York representative pleaded guilty in August to claiming relatives had made contributions to his campaign when, in fact, they had not. Santos conceded he was trying to meet the fundraising threshold to qualify for financial help from the National Republican Congressional Committee.
He told reporters at the time that the guilty plea was the "right thing to do."
"This plea is not just an admission of guilt," Santos said. "It's an acknowledgment that I need to be held accountable like any other American that breaks the law."
Santos also stipulated that he committed other fraud, including charging donor credit cards without authorization and convincing donors to give money by falsely stating the money would be used for TV ads. He also stipulated he stole public money by applying for and receiving unemployment benefits during the pandemic to which he was not entitled.
Santos conceded in a statement to the court his actions "betrayed" his constituents and others.
He faces a sentence of 75-87 months, including a mandatory minimum two-year sentence for aggravated identity theft.
He also must pay restitution of nearly $374,000 and forfeiture of more than $200,000.
Santos' lawyers flagged in the final moments of his plea hearing on Aug. 19 that the former congressman may not be able to pay over $200,000 in restitution.
He is required to pay the restitution 30 days before his sentencing on Feb. 7 and could face additional sanctions if he fails to pay in time.
Santos represented New York's 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Queens and Nassau counties, beginning in January 2023, before being expelled from Congress on Dec. 1, 2023.
Bernie Madoff’s victims to receive final payout totaling $131 million
Posted/updated on:
December 30, 2024 at
6:03 pm
Jin Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images
(NEW YORK) -- The fund disbursing money to the victims of Bernie Madoffâs legendary Ponzi scheme began its 10th and final distribution on Monday, putting another $131 million in the pockets of swindled investors.
Twenty-three thousand victims worldwide are receiving payments, bringing their total recoveries to 94% of their losses. Most of these victims were small investors who lost less than $500,000 in the fraud, according to federal prosecutors.
Since the collapse of Madoffâs investment house and his 2009 guilty plea, the Madoff Victim Fund has paid more than $4 billion to nearly 41,000 victims in 127 countries.
âThis office has never stopped pursuing justice for victims of historyâs largest Ponzi scheme,â acting U.S. Attorney Edward Y. Kim said.
For decades, Madoff used the investment advisory business he founded in 1960 to steal billions from his clients, turning his wealth management firm into the worldâs largest Ponzi scheme to benefit himself, his family and select members of his inner circle.
He was sentenced to 150 years in prison, where he died in 2021.
"The unprecedented scope and complexity of the Madoff remission process shows the power of forfeiture to recover assets and to compensate victims," Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent Wible said in a statement on Monday.
