A Texas man has been sentenced to a year and a half in prison for attempting to defraud George Santos of nearly $1 million by offering to destroy evidence in the former congressman's corruption case. Hector Medina, 40, confessed to creating a false identity as a politically connected individual and trying to extort money from Santos by claiming he could make incriminating evidence disappear.
Medina, using the alias Michael Soto, also attempted the scam on other high-profile criminal defendants, such as actor Danny Masterson, but was unsuccessful in convincing anyone. His attorney revealed that the scheme was an attempt to settle gambling debts and lacked the necessary sophistication to be successful.
Medina pleaded guilty to charges of identity theft and wire fraud in September. This admission came shortly after Santos confessed to deceiving voters, defrauding donors, and stealing identities to make campaign donations.
It is noteworthy that both the defendant and the victim have been charged in separate instances with the same crime, a situation described as unusual by Medina's attorney. Santos, who faces a mandatory minimum two-year sentence for identity theft and a maximum of 22 years in prison, has requested a delay in his sentencing to pay off fines by producing more episodes of his podcast 'Pants on Fire.'
The sentencing for Santos is currently scheduled for April 25, while Medina has expressed relief that his case has concluded, regardless of Santos' legal proceedings.
