NEW YORK — A former fundraiser for U.S. Rep. George Santos was indicted Wednesday on federal fees that he impersonated a high-ranking congressional aide whereas soliciting contributions for the New York Republican’s marketing campaign.

Sam Miele, 27, was charged with 4 counts of wire fraud and aggravated identification theft in an alleged scheme to defraud donors and acquire cash for Santos underneath false pretenses. Prosecutors mentioned Miele used a pretend title and e-mail tackle to impersonate a “high-ranking aide to a member of the House with leadership responsibilities.”

The indictment didn't title the one that was impersonated, however the particulars of the costs match with a number of information reviews figuring out the aide as Dan Meyer, now retired because the longtime chief of employees to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who on the time was minority chief.

Santos was not charged within the indictment. The info of the case relaxation on occasions that overlap with the congressman’s personal alleged crimes of wire fraud and cash laundering, federal prosecutors mentioned in a submitting Wednesday.

Miele pleaded not responsible to the costs in Brooklyn federal court docket and was launched on a $150,000 bond. His lawyer, Kevin Marino, didn't instantly return a cellphone message.

Meyer didn't instantly reply to a request for remark. Santos‘ workplace didn't reply to a request for remark.

Federal prosecutors mentioned Miele despatched “fraudulent fundraising solicitations” to greater than a dozen potential donors between August and December of 2021, at instances signing the emails with the aide’s full title and title.

In a letter despatched to Santos final September, Miele admitted to “faking my identity to a big donor,” in accordance with the indictment. He went on to explain himself as “high risk, high reward in everything I do.”

Miele earned a fee of 15% for every contribution he raised, prosecutors mentioned.

A McCarthy spokesman confirmed they had been first made conscious of the impersonation in August 2021.

The indictment come three months after Santos was arrested on fees of wire fraud, cash laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress. He has pleaded not responsible and insisted he has no plans to resign from Congress.

Republican leaders within the House, defending a slender majority, have stopped wanting calling for Santos to be expelled.

The case towards Santos entails separate allegations that he embezzled cash from his marketing campaign for private use, lied to Congress about his funds and cheated his means into undeserved unemployment checks.

During his run for workplace, Santos fabricated swaths of his life story, falsely portraying himself as a rich Wall Street dealmaker when he had really been struggling to pay his lease and had labored for a corporation accused of operating a Ponzi scheme.

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Associated Press author Farnoush Amiri in Washington contributed to this report.

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