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Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., reported to federal prison on Friday to begin serving an 87-month sentence after pleading guilty last year to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, related in part to his campaign finances.
Santos, who turned 37 on Tuesday, surrendered to Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Fairton in Fairton, New Jersey, the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed to NBC News. The prison is a medium security facility for male offenders that holds 800 inmates at this time, according to the BOP's website.
In the weeks leading up to his expected surrender, Santos has made remarks suggesting that he fears violence and possibly even death behind bars.
“I don’t know that I survive it,” Santos told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson in an interview that aired July 11. “They’re putting me in a violent prison. ... I’m not a streetwise guy. I don’t know how to fight.”
Two days earlier, Santos said on X that he has no intention of harming himself and suggested that if he were to die in prison, it would be due to foul play.
“I’m heading to prison, folks, and I need you to hear this loud and clear: I’m not suicidal. I’m not depressed," he wrote. "I have no intentions of harming myself, and I will not willingly engage in any sexual activity while I’m in there. If anything comes out suggesting otherwise, consider it a lie … full stop.”
“The statistics around what happens to gay men in BOP custody are horrifying, and that’s exactly why I’m putting this out there now,” continued Santos, who is openly gay. He appeared to be referring to the increased risk of sexual assault for LGBTQ+ people in federal prisons. “So if something does happen, there’s no confusion. I did NOT kill myself.”
Santos’ reference to suicide could be inspired by the death of millionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. A medical examiner ruled his death a suicide, but conspiracy theories have swirled in the years since.
Epstein’s sexual offenses against minors, as well as speculation about other potential high-profile figures who may have participated in such acts, have drawn national attention in recent weeks with the Trump administration’s botched handling of the so-called Epstein files.
The scandal hasn’t stopped Santos from incessantly cheerleading for President Donald Trump on social media. Still, he doesn’t appear to be holding out hope for a pardon or commutation from the president, who has granted clemency for hundreds of criminals — including Jan. 6 attack participants — so far this term.
“I don’t think he can,” Santos told Politico this week. “He’s in a position where he needs to put the country ahead of one man, and that’s just a fact. He would lose support in the House from Republicans who have already capitulated.”