George Santos faces prison after pleading guilty to fraud

George Santos, the disgraced former Republican congressman, is facing years in prison after pleading guilty to two federal counts of fraud.

Santos, 36, appeared in court in Central Islip, New York, on Monday and admitted wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for stealing the IDs of campaign staff and misusing campaign funds.

The judge estimated a sentencing range of six to eight years for the charges he admitted.

His guilty plea cements the downfall of the novice New York politician, who was expelled from Congress last year after a brief, scandal-plagued tenure.

"I deeply regret my conduct and the harm it has caused and accept full responsibility for my actions," Santos said in a statement read to the court.

It reverses his denial last year of charges including lying to Congress about his finances and using campaign contributions for personal expenses.

A plea agreement calls for Santos to make restitution of at least $374,000 (£288,000).

The aggravated identity theft charge carries a two-year mandatory prison term that must be served consecutively with any sentence for the wire fraud charge.

In court, Santos admitted to theft and applying for unemployment benefits that he was not entitled to receive.

He also acknowledged making false statements and omissions on financial statements submitted to the House Ethics Committee and the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

Santos was charged with 23 federal felony crimes including wire fraud, money laundering and the misuse of campaign funds.

In December, he became the first member of Congress to be expelled in more than 20 years, and only the sixth in history. His brief tenure in office was marked by several controversies, alleged lies and allegations of fraud.

Santos defeated a Democratic incumbent in 2022, flipping the district that encompasses parts of New York's Long Island and Queens.

However, he faced a string of allegations that he had made false claims about a career on Wall Street, his university education, his Jewish ancestry, and his mother's death in the 9/11 attacks.

The House Ethics Committee voted in 2023 to investigate Santos over several allegations that he had engaged in "unlawful activity" during his 2022 campaign, lied to Congress and engaged in sexual misconduct.

Federal prosecutors filed 13 charges against him months later. These included seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of lying to the House of Representatives.

He was later charged with 10 additional counts, accused of stealing the identities of campaign donors and using their credit cards.

The House ethics panel report was then released, accused him of misusing campaign funds for personal benefit - including on Botox, credit card debts, and subscriptions on the porn-heavy OnlyFans website.

Two of his former aides have already pleaded guilty to fraud in connection to Santos' campaign.

His sentencing is scheduled for 7 February.