U.S. Representative George Santos, the New York Republican notorious for fabricating key parts of his life story, was arrested Wednesday on federal criminal charges ahead of an expected trial.

The indictment says Santos incited supporters to donate to a company under the false pretense that the money would be used to support his campaign. Instead, it says, he used it for personal expenses, including designer luxury clothing, and to pay off his credit cards.

American attention. Breon Peace said the indictment seeks to hold Santos responsible for several alleged fraudulent schemes and gross misrepresentations.

Taken together, the charges in the indictment accuse Santos of relying on repeated dishonesty and deceit to go to the halls of Congress and enrich himself, Peace said.

Santos was scheduled to appear in court for the first time at a Long Island federal courthouse later Wednesday, after which the charges against him would be unsealed.

Santos was reached by the AP on Tuesday and said he was unaware of the allegations.

Santos was elected to Congress last fall after a campaign based in part on false hoods. He told people he was a wealthy Wall Street dealmaker with a sizable real estate portfolio that included being a star volleyball player in college. In reality, he didn’t work at the big financial firms he claimed hired him, didn’t attend college, and was struggling financially before running for public office.

Questions about his finances also surfaced. In the registration files, Santos said he

lent out

his campaign and associated political action committees more than $750,000, but it was unclear how he would have acquired that kind of wealth so quickly after years of struggling to pay his rent and facing multiple eviction suits.

In a financial disclosure form, Santos had reported earning $750,000 a year plus dividends from a family business, the Devolder Organization. He later described that company as a broker for the sale of luxury items such as yachts and airplanes. The company was founded in Florida shortly after Santos quit working as a salesman for a company accused by federal authorities of running an illegal Ponzi scheme.

Many of Santos’s fellow Republicans in New York called for him to resign after his history of fabrications came to light. Some renewed their criticism of him as news of the criminal case spread.

Listen, George Santos should have resigned in December. George Santos should have resigned in January. George Santos should have resigned yesterday. And maybe hell will resign today. But sooner or later, whether he likes it or not, both the truth and justice will be handed to him,” said Representative Marc Molinaro, a Republican representing parts of New York State.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) was more cautious, saying, “I think in America you’re innocent until proven guilty.”

Santos has been criminally investigated before.

When he was 19, he was investigated in Brazil for allegations that he had used stolen checks to purchase items in a clothing store. Brazilian authorities said they have reopened the case.

In 2017, Santos was charged with robbery in Pennsylvania after authorities said he used thousands of dollars in fraudulent checks to buy puppies from dog breeders. That case was dismissed after Santos claimed his checkbook was stolen and someone else took the dogs.

Federal authorities have separately investigated complaints about Santos’ work raising money for a group that claimed to help neglected and abused pets. A New Jersey veteran accused Santos of not handing over the $3,000 he raised to help his dog get needed surgery.

___Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report from Washington.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of U.S. Representative George Santos at https://apnews.com/hub/george-santos.