By Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) – George Santos’ willingness to spend a minimal two years in jail was a crucial a part of his settlement to plead responsible to fraud and id theft, the federal prosecutor who charged the scandal-plagued former U.S. congressman mentioned on Tuesday.
Breon Peace, U.S. legal professional for Lengthy Island and the New York Metropolis boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, informed Reuters in an interview that the deal beneath which Santos pleaded responsible on Monday got here collectively not too long ago.
The Republican former Queens and Lengthy Island consultant was charged in Might 2023 with fabricating fundraising figures, and was later expelled from Congress. He first got here into the general public eye when it was reported that he had fabricated large swaths of his biography throughout his congressional marketing campaign.
Santos, 36, faces as much as 22 years behind bars when he’s sentenced by U.S. District Choose Joanna Seybert on Feb. 7. He has agreed to not enchantment any sentence of round eight years or much less, and the aggravated id theft cost to which he pleaded responsible carries a compulsory two-year sentence.
“Whenever you have corruption in politics or public service, it does erode confidence in our government institutions,” Peace mentioned in his downtown Brooklyn workplace a day after Santos pleaded responsible. “It’s important that he be punished, and part of that, we think, is having to serve some time in prison.”
Peace mentioned it was too early to say what sentence prosecutors would advocate. Although Santos solely pleaded responsible to 2 counts, he admitted wrongdoing in every of the 23 counts he initially confronted, which Seybert can consider at sentencing.
Santos’ legal professionals didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Peace mentioned Santos’ conviction demonstrated his workplace’s dedication to prosecuting corrupt public officers, although he acknowledged that current Supreme Courtroom rulings in bribery circumstances would cut the scope of conduct that may be charged as corruption. Santos was not accused of bribery.
In June, the justices dominated 6-3 that it was not towards federal bribery regulation for state and native officers to simply accept gratuities as tokens of appreciation after an official act.
In a separate case final 12 months, the courtroom restricted the circumstances by which somebody not serving in authorities will be charged with trustworthy providers fraud.
“While these decisions may make charging public corruption cases or fraud cases, frankly, a bit more challenging, a bit more difficult, they won’t deter us,” Peace mentioned.
FINANCIAL CRIME, DRUG TRAFFICKING
Peace who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden to his position in 2021, is coming off a string of trial wins.
Brooklyn juries this summer season convicted an educational on prices of performing as an unlawful Chinese language agent, discovered a former Mozambican finance minister responsible on conspiracy prices associated to bribes, and convicted a media startup founder on prices of mendacity to traders about his firm’s funds.
“We’re a magnet for all types of criminal activity,” Peace mentioned, noting that his 8 million-person district is without doubt one of the nation’s most various. “So we have to take action.”
Peace, 52, is now gearing up for a possible prosecution of alleged Mexican drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada.
Zambada was arrested final month and faces drug trafficking prices in a number of states. Prosecutors in Texas – the place he’s now being held – final week requested a decide to maneuver him to Brooklyn to face prices there first. The request is pending.
Peace declined to debate the Division of Justice’s deliberations that would see Zambada despatched to Brooklyn. He famous each Zambada’s fellow Sinaloa Cartel co-founder Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman and former Mexican safety minister Genaro Garcia Luna have been convicted on drug-related prices in Brooklyn.
“That record demonstrates that we can successfully handle cases of this magnitude,” Peace mentioned.
