Santos Pleads "Guilty" in Brazil Criminal Check Fraud Case

By Chris O'Neill

Fraudster Congressman George Santos (R-NY3) is now pleading guilty to criminal charges of check forgery and elder fraud in Brazil, according to a story broken by CNN.

The troubled congressman has agreed to the plea, which includes a confession of guilt and restitution of the $1,300 that Santos stole, in order for Santos to avoid arrest, extradition to Brazil. and jail time in Brazil.

The North Shore Leader exposed Santos as a "fraud" and "fabulist" in a series of expose articles in October, 2022 - well before the November election.

Then the New York Times followed-up with a sweeping expose of Santos in December, 2022, exposing that Santos is a criminal fugitive from Brazil. He fled Brazil in 2010 after being charged with criminal check forgery and elder fraud for stealing a checkbook from an 82-year-old patient, and forging checks to buy clothes.

Santos falsely stated that "I am not a criminal in Brazil," but that claim is now proven to be a lie.

Upon entry of the plea, Santos will be a convicted criminal felon. The equivalent charge under the New York Penal Law is "Grand Larceny" which involves stealing money or goods worth more than $1,000.00.

Santos is facing even more serious criminal charges in America. The FBI is assembling criminal cases against Santos involving mail fraud, charities fraud, credit card fraud, theft of property, and wire fraud. He also faces felony charges for campaign finance fraud, and wire fraud and filing false instruments fraud for his fraudulent FEC and financial disclosure filings.

In one case, Santos stole $3,500 from a charity GoFundMe drive raised by a disabled US Navy veteran, Richard Osthoff, to pay for emergency surgery for his service dog "Sapphire." Santos stole the money, resulting in the dog's surgery being canceled, and Sapphire dying. Osthoff was left destitute and suicidal .

In another case, Santos ran a credit and ATM card fraud ring out of his apartment in Florida. Santos and his roommate associate, Gustavo Trelha, stole the ID of over 300 people to clone their credit cards and use the fake cards to buy - steal - merchandise. Trelha was arrested, but has now come forward to the FBI to detail Santos' role in the criminal fraud ring.

The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, has promised action to expel Santos if he faces criminal charges. The criminal conviction in Brazil might finally force a vote to expel Santos from the Congress. The vote requires a 2/3 majority of those voting in the House of Representatives to expel Santos, with a clear majority of the House members already pledging to expel Santos. The last member of the US Congress to be expelled was in 2002.