“Now he is not responding to any lawsuit in Brazil,” said his lawyer, Honimar Vasconcelos, at the courthouse in Niteroi, near Rio de Janeiro. Documents obtained by CNN showed that Santos, a Republican from New York, admitted to defrauding a Rio de Janeiro store employee out of $1,300 in 2008 to buy clothes and shoes. Santos will pay a total of $4,878.45. Of that amount, around $2,000 will go to the Brazilian government as a fine and $2,800 to store owner Bruno Simões, who told reporters that Santos had 30 days to make the payment by bank transfer. A channel source familiar with the case and Rio de Janeiro state law said the fine was more than seven times the average fine imposed in similar cases.
U.S. Representative George Santos, a New York Republican known for fabricating key moments in his life’s story, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to defrauding sponsors, stealing his campaign and lying to Congress, alleging he was a millionaire. The investigation revealed that he had fraudulently collected unemployment benefits before being elected to Congress, which he was not entitled to, reports the LA Times. Santos’ 13-count federal indictment was retaliation for what prosecutors say was a network of fraud and deception that intersected with his “fantastic public image as a wealthy businessman.” This is a fictional biography that began to unravel after his victory in the midterm congressional elections last fall.
Santos, 34, surrendered his passport and was released on $500,000 bail after being charged with wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted on all counts. Santos himself denies the charges and has said he intends to seek re-election in the 2024 legislative elections.
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