Politico reported that Gustavo Ribeiro Trelha, a former roommate of Santos who was convicted of credit card fraud and deported to Brazil, stated in a sworn declaration that Santos was the ringleader of the illegal scheme. 

“I am coming forward today to declare that the person in charge of the crime of credit card fraud when I was arrested was George Santos/Anthony Devolder,” said Trelha, using two variations of the name of the congressman, whose full name is George Anthony Devolder Santos. Trelha’s statement was sent to numerous federal agencies, including the FBI and the Secret Service.

According to Trelha, the scheme involved himself, Santos and a third roommate, Leide Oliveira Santos, who all participated in stealing ATM card data and passwords from unsuspecting victims. George Santos, Trelha claims, was the mastermind behind the operation. “Santos taught me how to skim card information and how to clone cards,” Trelha declared, adding that Santos “gave me all the materials and taught me how to put skimming devices and cameras on ATM machines.” Trelha was arrested in Seattle in April 2017 after a security camera filmed him removing a card-skimming device from an ATM. He claimed Santos visited him in jail and told him not to report Santos’ involvement in the scheme; Santos allegedly threatened Trelha’s family in Florida to keep him quiet. Santos was questioned in the case but was never charged with any crime. He even testified in Trelha’s bail hearing, where Santos lied that he worked for the financial firm Goldman Sachs, one of many lies Santos repeated during his campaign for Congress.

This latest investigation into Santos’ past comes as evidence continues to grow that the first-term congressman may have committed crimes and told numerous lies before and after his election. For instance, The New York Times reported that federal and New York state authorities are investigating Santos for his role in negotiating the sale of a $19 million yacht from one of his rich campaign donors to another wealthy contributor. Santos had previously bragged about arranging this kind of deal for wealthy clients. He used these stories to explain his sudden and mysterious increase in income, going from a thrice-evicted New York tenant to a reportedly wealthy businessperson in a short period.

Santos continues downplaying his wrongdoing despite his scrutiny and refuses to step down. On the contrary, he recently filed paperwork indicating that he intends to run for reelection in 2024. While it seems increasingly possible that his past may catch up to him before then, we will likely hear more about Santos in the coming weeks and months.