George Santos pleads guilty to federal charges in fraud case

• His sentencing is set for Feb. 7, per the DOJ. He faces between two and 22 years in prison.
• He will pay restitution of $373,749.97 and forfeiture of $205,002.97, per the DOJ.

Zoom in: "I accept full responsibility for my actions," Santos told the judge, the New York Times reported. "I understand my actions have betrayed the trust of my supporters and my constituents."

Catch up quick: Santos was facing 23 federal criminal charges in the case and had previously pleaded not guilty on all counts.

• He was initially indicted in May 2023 on 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and lying to Congress.
• He was hit with a superseding indictment last fall that accused him of 10 more counts, including falsification of records, aggravated identity theft and credit card fraud.

The latest: "By pleading guilty, Mr. Santos has acknowledged that he repeatedly defrauded federal and state government institutions as well as his own family, supporters and constituents," U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York said in a press release.

• "His flagrant and disgraceful conduct has been exposed and will be punished."

The big picture: Santos' short stint in Congress was marred by bizarre controversies over fabricated details of his résumé and background.

• The House Ethics Committee released a report last November detailing Santos' "complex web of unlawful activity," including accusations that he misused campaign funds for things including lavish trips, botox and OnlyFans.
• He was ultimately expelled from Congress last December, becoming only the sixth lawmaker ever to be booted from the House in U.S. history.

Flashback: Santos mounted a short-lived third-party bid for Congress in March but dropped it a month later.

Go deeper: George Santos' surreal saga finally comes crashing down

Editor's note: This story has been updated with details throughout.