EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — A man from El Paso was arrested on Wednesday, March 6 after he allegedly tried to scam former Rep. George Santos and other public figures last year, according to court documents obtained by KTSM.
Court documents say Hector Medina Jr., who went by the alias “Michael Soto,” allegedly devised a scheme in 2023 to defraud public figures who were facing criminal exposure by giving them false promises to help them in exchange for money.
Court documents indirectly identifies one of the public figures as former Rep. George Santos.
Court documents say between June 2023 and August 2023, Medina sent text messages and videos to an individual’s phone number who “represented New York’s Third Congressional District, covering parts of northern Nassau County on Long Island and northeast Queens, all within the Eastern District of New York, in the United States Congress from approximately January 7, 2023 through December 1, 2023.”
Medina allegedly sent multiple text messages, videos and images to Santos’ phone stating that he could arrange the criminal charges pending against Santos to be dropped and/or for evidence against Santos to be destroyed in exchange for monetary payment, according to court documents.
Medina contacted other individuals including a public actor who had been convicted of felonies in May 2023 in California, a public musician who had been arrested in June 2023, and a professional athlete whose family member had been arrested in May 2023.
Court documents also say the purpose of the schemes were to obtain money since Medina owed over $100,000 in gambling debts.
Medina also has prior criminal convictions for theft and fraudulent activity.
On December 2, 2016, Medina was convicted in El Paso of theft of property in the first
degree.
He was also convicted on June 28, 2023 of fraudulent securing of document execution and was sentenced to probation and restitution.
Court documents state Medina submitted a fraudulent check to the victim as part of the restitution.
Medina was arrested on Wednesday, March 6 and was booked into the El Paso County Detention Center by the FBI. He’s currently being held without bond.
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