George Santos confesses to check fraud in Brazil & agrees to pay fines

Embattled gay Rep. George Santos (R-NY) has confessed to being a thief in a Brazilian case that involved him stealing and forging a man’s checks and using a fake ID to buy clothes.

While appearing virtually in a Brazilian criminal court on Thursday afternoon, Santos confessed and agreed to pay fines in exchange for prosecutors dropping the case against him. He now has 30 days to pay around $2,000 in fines and $2,800 to Carlos Bruno Simões, the merchant defrauded by Santos. The case won’t be dismissed until Santos pays, The Washington Post reported.

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Simões told a Brazilian publication that he remembered Santos’ fraud because he was forced to pay the value of the illegally obtained clothing items out of his own pocket. He attended Santos’s court hearing on Thursday and said of his punishment, “He got off super cheap.”

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The Brazilian case seems particularly notable considering that, on Wednesday, Santos surrendered to federal authorities in the United States over 13 criminal charges, including charges related to allegedly stealing donated campaign funds to purchase designer clothing.

Santos, who has been caught lying about large parts of his biography, said in the April 17 Macrodosing podcast, “I’m not a thief. I’ve never stolen anything in my life.”

When asked by one of the hosts about his legal troubles in Brazil, he said, “It’s not [alive]. It’s actually dwindling down and being dismissed.”

George Santos: “I’m not a thief. I’ve never stolen anything in my life.” pic.twitter.com/APcHMuFVy0

— PatriotTakes