Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is facing mounting issues from the courts just as he was sworn into office. He is already under investigation by federal and local-level officials because of false claims he made while working the campaign trail. And now the New York Times has reported that law enforcement officials in Brazil is planning to review fraud charges against Santos from an incident in 2008 that involved a checkbook that was stolen.
The case was suspended previously because law enforcement was not able to find him, according to a report. But Brazilian prosecutors will now make a formal request to the Department of Justice to notify the New York representative of the pending charges.
The incident happened in South America when Santos, then 19, entered a clothing store and spent $700 using a stolen checkbook and a false name, according to the police report. He allegedly admitted to the fraud on a Brazilian social media website the following year. And he and his mother admitted to police in 2010 that he stole the checkbook to make fraudulent purchases. The next year the charge against him was approved, but by then he had moved and was living in America.
The report noted that neither the United States nor Brazilian officials could get Santos to respond, but that will certainly change now as the case moves forward. He could face up to five years in a South American prison.
So, you can add this indiscretion to his previous claims about. Working for financial titans Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and he also admitted that he did not graduate from college. Santos also embellished details of his personal life, his religion, and his sexuality.
“I am not a criminal,” Santos claimed. “This will not deter me from having good legislative success. I will be effective. I will be good.”
But prison in Brazil might.
