Scandal-plagued Rep. George Santos (R-NY) on Wednesday got slapped with 13 different criminal charges including counts of wire fraud and money laundering.
The New York Times reports that Santos surrendered himself to law enforcement officials on Wednesday morning and that he is expected to make an appearance in court, where he will be arraigned on seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, two counts of making false statements to Congress, and one count of theft of public funds.
According to New York Times reporter Rebecca Davis O’Brien, the charges all revolve around different schemes that prosecutors say Santos masterminded.
The first one involved using donor cash to funnel money into a limited liability corporation that he then used to buy designer goods for himself.
In a second scheme, Santos defrauded the New York state government by applying for assistance in that state during the COVID-19 pandemic even though he was employed by a Florida-based firm at the time.
And finally, prosecutors allege Santos misled Congress about his financial condition by littering his financial disclosure form with falsehoods.
Santos came under fire shortly after being elected last year when multiple reports revealed that he fabricated entire parts of his life story, including his academic career, his work history, and even his claims of Jewish heritage.
Santos was until recently also a wanted criminal in Brazil, where he admitted to using stolen checks to buy merchandise, although he settled that case with Brazilian authorities earlier this year.