George Santos admits to theft in Brazil court
Posted: Sat May 13, 2023 10:25 pm
George Santos admits to theft in Brazil court
Read more here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65566074
Republican congressman George Santos has admitted to theft and signed a deal with Brazilian authorities to drop the criminal charges in a 2008 case.
As part of the deal, Mr Santos has been given 30 days to pay restitution and fines for the case to be dropped.
He is still facing more serious federal charges in the US of fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds.
Mr Santos has pleaded not guilty to the US federal charges.
The 34-year-old lawmaker, who was elected to the House of Representatives in November, has been dogged by accusations of falsehoods and fraud throughout his brief career on Capitol Hill.
Among those were allegations that Mr Santos spent about $700 (£560) using a false name and stolen cheques in the city of Niterói, near Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, to buy items at a shop including a pair of trainers in 2008, when he was 19.
The case had been suspended because Brazilian authorities were unable to locate him, but it was revived after Mr Santos took office in the US.
On Thursday, Mr Santos confessed to the theft in a virtual appearance before a Brazilian criminal court. He was given 30 days to pay $2,000 (£1,600) in fines and $2,800 to the shopkeeper, according to local news outlets.
In exchange, the fraud charges against Mr Santos in Brazil would be dropped.
"The case ended today," Mr Santos' lawyer, Jonymar Vasconcelos, told the Washington Post.
Read more here:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65566074
Republican congressman George Santos has admitted to theft and signed a deal with Brazilian authorities to drop the criminal charges in a 2008 case.
As part of the deal, Mr Santos has been given 30 days to pay restitution and fines for the case to be dropped.
He is still facing more serious federal charges in the US of fraud, money laundering and theft of public funds.
Mr Santos has pleaded not guilty to the US federal charges.
The 34-year-old lawmaker, who was elected to the House of Representatives in November, has been dogged by accusations of falsehoods and fraud throughout his brief career on Capitol Hill.
Among those were allegations that Mr Santos spent about $700 (£560) using a false name and stolen cheques in the city of Niterói, near Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, to buy items at a shop including a pair of trainers in 2008, when he was 19.
The case had been suspended because Brazilian authorities were unable to locate him, but it was revived after Mr Santos took office in the US.
On Thursday, Mr Santos confessed to the theft in a virtual appearance before a Brazilian criminal court. He was given 30 days to pay $2,000 (£1,600) in fines and $2,800 to the shopkeeper, according to local news outlets.
In exchange, the fraud charges against Mr Santos in Brazil would be dropped.
"The case ended today," Mr Santos' lawyer, Jonymar Vasconcelos, told the Washington Post.