A Texas man turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday for allegedly committing wire fraud. He is accused of attempting to scam then-Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), actor Danny Masterson, and other individuals who were facing criminal charges.
According to a newly unsealed affidavit, Hector Medina Jr. sent texts and videos to Santos’ phone, falsely claiming he could have the congressman’s criminal charges dropped in exchange for substantial sums of money.
“You don’t know me but, I wanted you to see a face and trust me on what I’m about to tell you. I work with prosecutors and, uh, judges throughout the United States, and I want to give you the opportunity to offer my services,” Medina allegedly said in a July video sent to Santos.
“I was contacted by some people to reach out to you and see if you wanted to cut a deal,” Medina purportedly continued. “Uh, this only stands for today. If you’re interested, I can get everything dropped, evidence that is on you removed, disappeared. Reach out to me if you’re interested. It’s simple yes or no. Thank you.”
In one text message to Santos, Medina allegedly wrote, “All I need is for you or someone to wire 900k,” and included a routing number.
According to court documents, Medina, who went by the name “Mike Soto,” admitted to voluntarily sending the video and other messages when questioned by the FBI. He explained that he had come up with the scheme because he was in debt from gambling and owed over $100,000.
“I am currently in the initial phases of my representation of Mr. Medina in this matter. Mr. Medina eagerly anticipates confronting the allegations against him through the formal legal process,” Joseph Veith, Medina’s attorney, said in a statement.
Santos is already facing charges of wire theft and other crimes, but he is not accused of any wrongdoing in this case, and the charges against him do not say that he fell for the scam.
A person close to the former congressman and a second person with knowledge of the matter told The Hill that he did tell the Justice Department about Medina’s work. Sources say that he gave the proof to the police.
According to the statement, Medina also tried to scam three other well-known people who were either facing criminal charges or were connected to someone who was.
Somebody who knows about the situation said that one of them is Masterson, the star of “That ’70s Show,” who was found guilty of rape in Los Angeles last year, even though the papers don’t name any of them.
Medina could go to jail for up to 20 years if he is found guilty.
A representative for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, which is prosecuting Medina, said that the suspect turned himself in Wednesday morning in El Paso, Texas, where he grew up.
That’s where he will first go to court on Wednesday. Later, he will go to federal court in Brooklyn, our spokesman said.
Medina was arrested a little more than three months after Santos was kicked out of the House in a historic vote. He was the sixth lawmaker in history to be kicked out of the house.
It was the third time that people tried to get rid of the New York Republican from Congress in December. This was after Santos was charged with 23 crimes, and a harsh report from the House Ethics Committee said he “violated federal criminal laws.”
Santos said he was not guilty of the charges brought against him. His trial is set to start in September.
In November 2022, Santos was elected to the House. He turned New York’s third congressional district red, which made him a political star and a Republican leader. But that description was quickly thrown out the window when it was said that he lied about parts of his resume and background while running for office.
In May, 13 federal counts were brought against the congressman on charges that he lied to donors and public and government organizations about his finances. In October, authorities issued a superseding indictment charging him with 10 more crimes, claiming that he lied on his campaign finance reports and charged supporters’ credit cards without their permission.
Even though he is no longer in Congress, Santos has continued to make news as a private citizen. He said, “To hell with this place,” as he left the Capitol after being kicked out.
When the former representative signed up for Cameo, he started selling videos for a high price. People pay him to say happy birthday, give a wedding speech, give pep talks, or say other things.
As of Wednesday afternoon, a movie costs $350.
Jimmy Kimmel was sued by Santos last month for allegedly fraudulent conduct, breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and copyright infringement. Santos said that Kimmel used the ex-lawmaker’s Cameo movies for his own purposes. In this case, it is said that Kimmel asked Santos for videos by using “fake user profiles” with “phony names and narratives” that she made as part of a “fraud.”
