El Pasoan accused of trying to defraud former Congressman George Santos

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- An El Paso man is facing federal charges for his alleged role in an attempt to defraud former Congressman George Santos.

According to court documents, the alleged crime happened in July and August of 2023, when Santos was serving as the representative for New York's Third Congressional District.

Court officials accuse El Pasoan Hector Medina Jr., also known as Michael Soto, of texting and calling Santos, telling Santos he could make his pending criminal charges go away in exchange for a $900,000 wire transfer.

Federal investigators accuse Medina of using a fake ID to build trust with Santos, who appears to have never returned Medina's messages.

Investigators say Medina tried to pull of a similar scam with an unidentified Hollywood actor who was convicted of felonies in California in May 2023, a musician arrested in June 2023, and an athlete whose family member was arrested in May 2023.

Court documents list Medina's motive as his $100,000 gambling debt.

ABC-7 is working to learn more information.