Former George Santos Treasurer Avoids Prison, Gets 3 Years Probation; To Pay $178K: Report

LONG ISLAND, NY — Former U.S. Rep. George Santos' previous campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, avoided a previous recommendation of 18 months in prison at her sentencing on Wednesday, instead getting three years of probation for her role in conspiring with him to file fraudulent campaign finance reports, Newsday reported.

Marks, of Shirley, was a longtime Republican campaign operative before she worked for Santos, and was also ordered to pay restitution to the tune of $178,402.97, according to the outlet.

In a statement in court, she described herself as an "abused spouse," in her relationship with Santos, who manipulated her as her husband died from brain cancer, she said, adding, "I honestly thought I had found a friend in George Santos. But I came to realize, everything about him was lies," the outlet reported.

The U.S. Attorney's office declined comment on the outcome of the case.

For more in Newsday, click here.

Marks has admitted to helping Santos file bogus campaign finance reports.

Santos was sentenced on April 25 to 87 months in prison.

Earlier this month, it was recommended that Marks be sentenced 18 months in prison, according to court records.

The federal government's probation department calculated the sentencing advisory guidelines for Marks, ranged from 18 to 24 months and officials recommended a principal sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment, together with restitution in the total amount of $178,402.97, according to a memorandum filed by prosecutors."

"For the following reasons, the government respectfully concurs in probation’s recommendation that an 18-month custodial sentence plus restitution would be sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to achieve the goals of sentencing in this case," the letter continued.

In their decision, prosecutors say that the court must also consider Marks’s history and characteristics, and "the government acknowledges both that Marks has no criminal history and that she has experienced personal hardship in her family life."

"But those experiences must be weighed among the totality of circumstances, including and especially that Marks has, for most of her adult life, enjoyed a privileged status as a political operative and business owner," the memo reads. "That she jeopardized everything by resorting to criminality at all — let alone in service of a disgraceful politician like Santos — is cause for extreme concern and cannot be easily explained away by reference to personal tragedy."

To be sure, the [prosecutor] notes that, during her pre-sentence interview, Marks “described a great childhood in which her basic needs were always met," the memo continues. "She reported no abuse of any kind.”

Her defense attorney, Ray Perini of Islandia, previously told Newsday the fact that the government was "recommending a sentence at the bottom of the guidelines is a good thing.”

Patch has reached out to Perini for comment.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.