New York Republican Congressman George Santos, infamous for having invented fundamental parts of his life story, turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday and is being held in federal court.
He is charged with seven counts of wire fraud, three counts of money laundering, one count of theft of public funds and two counts of materially false statements to the House of Representatives, according to The New York Times.
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace said the indictment "seeks to hold Santos accountable for several alleged fraudulent schemes and blatant misrepresentations."
Santos, 34, was expected to make his first appearance in federal court on Long Island late Wednesday, at which time the charges against him would be unveiled.
Santos, who has faced legal and political pressure to resignhis congressional seat after he admitted he had lied about parts of his past, is the focus of multiple investigations into his finances and other issues.
Who are Santos?
Santos was elected to Congress last fall after a campaign based in part on falsehoods. He told people he was a wealthy Wall Street businessman with a significant real estate portfolio and had been a volleyball star in college, among other things. In reality, he didn't work at the big financial firms he claimed to have hired, he didn't go to college, and he had struggled financially before standing for election.
Doubts also arose about his finances. In his remarks, Santos claimed he had lent more than $750,000 to his campaign and related political action committees, but it was unclear how he had been able to accumulate that wealth so quickly after years in which he struggled to pay rent and faced multiple eviction proceedings.
Santos said he earned $750,000 a year plus dividends from a family business, the Devolder Organization. He later described that business as a sales broker for luxury goods such as yachts and airplanes. The business was incorporated in Florida shortly after Santos stopped working as a salesman for a company accused by federal authorities of operating an illegal Ponzi scheme.
Pressure to resign
Many of Santos' fellow Republicans in New York called on him to resign after his history of fabrication was revealed. Some renewed their criticism when the case became known.
"George Santos should have resigned in December. George Santos should have resigned in January. George Santos should have resigned yesterday. And maybe he will resign today. But sooner or later, whether he chooses him or not, truth and justice will come to him," said Rep. Marc Molinaro, a Republican who represents parts of upstate New York.
Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was more cautious: "I believe in America you're innocent until proven guilty."
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.