Representative George Santos, who is serving his first term, has been charged with thirteen offenses, including embezzling campaign donations, falsely receiving unemployment benefits.
U.S. Rep. George Santos Used Cryptocurrency in a Scheme Similar to That of a Nigerian Prince
Representative George Santos, who is serving his first term, has been charged with thirteen offenses, including embezzling campaign donations, falsely receiving unemployment benefits, and lying to the House of Representatives.
The New York Times reported that one of his crypto schemes appeared to be influenced by the Nigerian prince-like email fraud.
Santos and two other men approached a campaign donor claiming to be a wealthy Polish citizen who wanted to purchase the digital currencies but was unable to do so because his assets were frozen.
The trio asked the donor to establish a limited liability company so they could access the funds, but they did not disclose the identity of the Polish investor or the reason the assets were frozen. Santos and associates requested the contributor to sign a non-disclosure agreement after the donor requested more details. The negotiations came to an end when the donor requested revisions to the agreement.
Santos, Michael LiPetri, a former Republican state assemblyman, and Bryant Park Associates were all involved in the project, but no agreement was ever finalized. In March, Santos was detained and accused of thirteen offenses, which he pleaded not guilty.
