Believe it or not, the FBI is investigating the theft of a GoFundMe account to pay for the surgery of a homeless veteran’s service dog by a vermin by the name of George Santos.
NEW YORK — FBI agents are investigating Rep. George Santos’ role in an alleged GoFundMe scheme involving a disabled U.S. Navy veteran’s dying service dog.
Two agents contacted former service member Richard Osthoff Wednesday on behalf of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of New York, he told POLITICO.
Osthoff gave the agents text messages from 2016 with Santos, who he says used his plight to raise $3,000 for life-saving surgery for the pit bull mix, Sapphire — then ghosted with the funds, as first reported by Patch.
“I’m glad to get the ball rolling with the big-wigs,” Osthoff said in an interview Wednesday. “I was worried that what happened to me was too long ago to be prosecuted.”
The alleged fundraising scheme is one of many scandals plaguing the freshman Republican, who has refused to leave office despite a series of allegations of lying and fraud that first came to light in December shortly after he won a swing seat on Long Island.
You all know that Santos took the money for Sapphire’s surgery and ran. This left Sapphire to die, and her owner, Richard Osthoff, to consider suicide. To be honest, I thought that Santos would get away with this crime, but it appears the DOJ is taking this seriously. And the reason for the DOJ’s pursuing an investigation and possible charges against Santos?
Well,….
Joshua Schiller, a senior trial lawyer who has practiced in the Eastern District, said the veteran’s encounter with Santos could offer prosecutors a quick way to hit the Republican congressman with criminal charges even though they’re also investigating heftier possible financial crimes.
“I think there is an urgency here because Santos is currently in a position to make laws,” Schiller said. “I can think of examples where the government used a lesser indictment to seize assets and try to cause the defendant to plea to a deal before bringing a second or third indictment on more serious charges, and I bet that is the case here.”…
Schiller said the GoFundMe allegations could result in several types of charges, including wire and mail fraud as well as bank fraud. Santos could have also committed tax crimes if he claimed exemptions for an unregistered charity, Schiller said…
While there are other larger financial crimes committed by Santos, it is believed that the DOJ and other prosecutors can use Sapphire’s case to force Santos from office much quicker than the more complicated crimes.
Think of it. Mr. Osthoff and his deceased beloved companion Sapphire may be the undoing of a sociopathic Republican congressman. If so, it would be some small justice in an unjust universe.