George Santos is scheduled to appear in federal court on fraud charges on Monday. Here's the latest on a possible deal.

NEW YORK — Disgraced former Congressman George Santos is expected to plead guilty to some of the 23 charges against him in federal court on Long Island on Monday in his fraud case.

The counts include Wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, making false statements to the Federal Election Commission and identity theft.

“This whole farce is certainly not in the public interest,” said former MP Peter King. “For me, the sooner he goes, the better.”

Penalty compared to settlement likely to be milder, says lawyer

After his election in 2022, Santos was accused of a litany of lies, These include a degree from Baruch College and New York University, Holocaust survivor ancestry and a job at Goldman Sachs.

The night before Congress voted to expel him last December, CBS News New York asked, “Why are you still in office?” and Santos responded, “These are allegations that I am neither willing nor able to have those conversations right now.”

Over the weekend, Santos told CBS News New York's Marcia Kramer by phone that he would appear in court on Monday, but when asked if he would accept a plea deal, he said he could not discuss it.

David Schwartz is a New York-based criminal defense attorney.

“One thing is certain: If he pleads guilty now, accepts responsibility and shows remorse, he will receive a much lighter sentence than if there were a trial,” Schwartz said.

If convicted on all counts, Santos could have faced up to 20 years in prison under sentencing guidelines. But the judge doesn't have to rely on those guidelines. In fact, he doesn't even have to accept the deal, although CBS News New York has learned from legal experts that this is rare.

Citizens of NY-03 are concerned about the deal

Jodi Kass-Finkel led the group Concerned Citizens of NY-03 to Washington to oust Santos from his seat.

“He shouldn’t get a deal,” Finkel said.

On Sunday, Finkel's group wrote to prosecutors that their group “…demands a full trial to uncover the extent of Mr. Santos' crimes against NY-03. Indeed, the public has a right to know how a farce of this magnitude could have occurred at the highest levels of government.”