Disgraced former congressman celebrates release at local hibachi restaurant, returns to Pennsylvania mountain retreat he’s called his second home

TOBYHANNA, Pa. — Just hours after walking out of federal prison on October 17, George Santos was doing what many newly freed individuals might do: celebrating with a piña colada and catching flying zucchini in his mouth at a Pocono Mountains hibachi restaurant.

The scene at Desaki restaurant in the Poconos two days later captured the dramatic reversal of fortune for the expelled congressman, who went from serving time in solitary confinement to dining freely in the Pennsylvania mountains, thanks to a commutation from President Donald Trump that cut short his 87-month sentence after just 84 days.

According to New York Magazine, Santos dined at Desaki, a hibachi and sushi restaurant, on October 19, drinking a piña colada, singing along to the Backstreet Boys and catching flying zucchini in his mouth, reportedly joined by his husband, Matt Gerard.

A Pocono Mountain Refuge

Santos’s connection to Tobyhanna isn’t new. The couple has a second home in the area, where they spend time away from their residence in Queens, New York. This small Monroe County community of roughly 8,000 residents has served as Santos’s retreat from the chaos of his political and legal troubles.

The relationship became official in June 2024 when U.S. District Court Judge Joanna Seybert of the Eastern District of New York granted Santos permission to visit the Poconos while awaiting sentencing, with the ruling modifying his bail conditions to allow more frequent trips to the region during the summer months, specifically listing Tobyhanna as the approved location.

Prior to that ruling, Santos’s travel had been restricted to New York City, Long Island, and Washington D.C. without advance notice. His attorneys had specifically requested permission for weekly trips to Tobyhanna and Mount Pocono, arguing he had already been cleared for occasional visits but wanted to avoid submitting frequent travel requests.

When reporters asked Santos in June 2024 what he was doing in the Poconos, his response was characteristically dismissive: “Slow news day?”

From Expulsion to Incarceration

Santos’s journey to federal prison began with one of the most spectacular political downfalls in recent memory. After winning election in 2022 as the first non-incumbent openly gay Republican congressman, revelations quickly emerged that he had fabricated much of his life story, including false claims about his education, employment history, and family background.

In 2023, the House voted 311-114 to remove him from office, with almost every Democrat and more than 100 Republicans voting to expel Santos, making him just the sixth representative to ever be expelled from the chamber and the first to be expelled without being convicted of a crime.

He pleaded guilty in 2024 to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after prosecutors described a “mountain of lies, theft, and fraud” aimed at enriching himself and deceiving campaign donors. The charges included stealing donor identities and using campaign funds for personal expenses, including shopping at Sephora, luxury travel, and OnlyFans subscriptions.

Santos was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison in April 2025 and began serving his time at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, on July 25.

Presidential Intervention

Trump’s decision to commute Santos’s sentence came after what officials described as a lobbying campaign by the former congressman’s allies, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who “fought like a lion on George’s behalf,” according to Santos’s attorney.

In his Truth Social announcement, Trump wrote: “George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated. Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”.

The president compared Santos’s crimes to what he claimed were worse offenses by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who had mischaracterized his military service decades ago, arguing that “at least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!”.

Mixed Reactions from Republicans

The commutation sparked immediate controversy, even among Republicans. New York Representatives Nick LaLota and Andrew Garbarino criticized the decision, with LaLota posting that Santos “didn’t merely lie — he stole millions, defrauded an election, and his crimes (for which he pled guilty) warrant more than a three-month sentence”.

Garbarino added that Santos “has shown no remorse. The less than three months that he spent in prison is not justice”.

Santos dismissed his critics, telling CNN: “I’m pretty confident that if President Trump had pardoned Jesus Christ off of the cross, he would have had critics”.

Life After Prison

In his first interviews following release, Santos struck a reflective tone while maintaining his prosecution was politically motivated. He told CNN he had eaten “a very large slice of humble pie, if not the entire pie” during his time in prison.

Santos indicated he wants to focus on prison reform, telling reporters: “There is nothing more that I want to do than to focus and dedicate my entire life to prison reform”, citing his experience in solitary confinement as particularly eye-opening.

When asked about returning to politics, the 37-year-old was noncommittal but suggested it wouldn’t happen soon: “I can tell you this, not that I can see in the next decade… I’m all politicked out”.

However, when pressed about whether he would repay the donors he defrauded, Santos’s response was less contrite: “If it’s required of me by the law, yes. If it’s not, then no”.

A Pocono Haven

For now, Santos appears content to retreat to his Tobyhanna home, away from the spotlight that followed him through his meteoric rise and catastrophic fall. The Pocono Mountains community, known more for its lakes, ski resorts, and natural beauty than political scandal, has become an unlikely refuge for one of the most controversial political figures in recent memory.

The commutation means Santos is no longer required to pay further fines, serve probation, or meet other conditions of his sentence, though he remains a convicted felon. His ability to freely travel to Tobyhanna — once requiring judicial permission — now symbolizes his dramatic change in circumstances.

As Santos celebrated at that hibachi restaurant, singing along to ’90s pop hits and enjoying theatrical Japanese cuisine, the scene encapsulated the surreal turn his story has taken: from Congress to conviction, from federal prison to presidential clemency, and from solitary confinement to the freedom of Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains.

Local residents in Tobyhanna may now regularly encounter the former congressman who once commanded national headlines for his web of lies. But in this quiet mountain community, Santos seems to have found what he couldn’t maintain in Washington: a place where he can simply disappear into the crowd, even if just temporarily.

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The Pocono Mountains region, located in northeastern Pennsylvania, has long served as a retreat for New York area residents seeking respite from city life. Tobyhanna, situated in Monroe County, is approximately 100 miles from New York City.