Santos is reaping the benefits of fame as the prospect of a prison sentence still looms

If there was any idea that George Santos’ expulsion from the House of Representatives would leave him in a state of self-inflicted disgrace, it appears the past few days have proven otherwise.

In the 10 days since he was expelled from Congress, Santos has carried his hard-won fame with gusto. He has participated in several lengthy on-camera interviews, including a yet-to-be-aired segment with comedian Ziwe Fumudoh.

He has become a breakout attraction on Cameo, raising his price for a recorded video message to $500, immediately placing him among the site’s top talents.

So many people have bought his videos that Mr. Santos said in an interview with WCBS-TV’s Marcia Kramer last weekend that he had already earned the equivalent of his $174,000 congressional salary in one week.

That, he added, “is basically factual.”

But for Mr. Santos, the price for that fame is looming. On Tuesday, he appeared in federal court on Long Island, where prosecutors and his attorney told a judge they were in the early stages of negotiating a settlement that could negate the need for a trial.

Mr. Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 felony charges. As he left court Tuesday, he declined to comment on the plea negotiations, Cameo or anything else.

He was more candid in his interview with Ms. Kramer, saying he was afraid of going to jail.

“It’s not a pretty place, and I definitely want to work very hard to avoid that as best I can,” he said somberly.

When asked whether he would accept community service, Mr. Santos seemed almost pained.

“A community service, I mean, if that’s what they’re offering, I’m happy to do it,” he said.

Former prosecutors suggested in interviews that any deal would most likely involve a prison sentence. The question, they said, was how much.

“I don’t see him getting probation or going to a halfway house,” said Michael Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor who now heads the white-collar defense group at law firm Cole Schotz.

“He is accused of serious crimes, and there is an enhancement because he is a public servant and in a position of trust,” Mr. Weinstein said.

Many factors come into play when drafting a plea deal, from the charge itself to the amount of money involved.

For guidance, Mr. Santos might consider his former campaign treasurer, Nancy Marks, who pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy for misrepresenting campaign finances and helping to conceal a fictitious $500,000 loan. Under the terms of her plea deal, Ms. Marks could be sentenced to 42 to 48 months in prison, although it would not be unusual for her to be sentenced to less.

A plea deal could also require Mr. Santos to pay restitution to those he is accused of defrauding, a potentially costly undertaking offset only by his newfound success on Cameo. The effort has attracted the attention and money of comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who told viewers that he secretly paid for some messages to see if there was anything Mr. Santos wouldn’t say.

For example, Mr. Kimmel asked for a message for a fictional blind niece who had crashed her car.

“You had that little accident… look, a body cast isn’t much,” Mr. Santos said in the video, concluding, “Jesus and President Trump will get you back on the road soon.”

Mr. Santos has accused Mr. Kimmel of misusing his videos and has asked the comedian to pay him more than $20,000 for usage rights, Mr. Kimmel said, prompting him to joke: “Can you imagine if I get sued by George Santos for fraud?”

Less attitude was on display Tuesday morning, when Mr. Santos and his attorney, Joseph Murray, appeared before a judge in Central Islip, N.Y.

On the docket was a request from federal prosecutors to move Mr. Santos’ trial from September to sometime in the spring.

Mr. Murray opposed such a move, saying that between preliminary plea negotiations and the more than a million pages of evidence prosecutors had turned over, he simply had too much to sort through.

The judge, Joanna Seybert, said she would be open to a postponement of the trial if an earlier date became available. Still, she seemed inclined to leave the September date for now, given the body of evidence.

On at least one point, Judge Seybert said the stage had been cleared for progress before the next conference on January 23.

“We don’t have the problem of the defendant having to go to Washington regularly,” the judge said.