Republican Representative from New York George Santos was indicted Tuesday by federal prosecutors for identity theft and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), months after pleading guilty to the criminal charges.

George Santos has been in the news for his number of scandals. He had already been facing seven charges of wire fraud, three of money laundering, one of theft of tax payer’s money and two concerning false statements to the House of Representatives.    

“Santos is charged with stealing people’s identities and making charges on his own donors’ credit cards without their authorisation, lying to the FEC and, by extension, the public about the financial state of his campaign,” US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, said.

Peace added in a statement: “Santos falsely inflated the campaign’s reported receipts with non-existent loans and contributions that were either fabricated or stolen.” 

The scandal-stricken legislator — who was elected to the House of Representatives last year — is due to appear before the jury on October 27 to answer the charges.

The 35-year-old has already admitted fabricating much of his biography, including his real name, his religion — he falsely claimed to be Jewish — his schooling and his employment history when he ran last year for a House seat representing parts of Long Island, New York.

According to the initial indictment, George Santos defrauded donors during his successful November 2022 election, transferring money into his own account and using it to pay off personal debts and buy designer clothing.

Santos is also accused of collecting unemployment benefits that he was not entitled to during the coronavirus pandemic, before his election to Congress.

Prosecutors say he pocketed $24,000 in benefits while earning $120,000 a year at a Florida-based investment firm.

Santos has faced calls to resign from constituents, some fellow Republicans as well as Democrats in Congress, but has thus far refused.