Joel Greenberg to plead guilty in case that led to sex-trafficking investigation
The former Florida tax official whose criminal case led to a sex trafficking investigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz is expected to plead guilty, court filings show.
Joel Greenberg, the former Seminole County tax collector,
had pleaded not guilty to several charges, including stalking, wire fraud and
sex trafficking of a minor. But it was revealed in court last month that he had
been in talks with prosecutors to plead guilty.
At the time, Greenberg attorney Fritz Scheller told
reporters, "I'm sure Matt Gaetz isn't feeling very comfortable
today," clarifying later that when he said Gaetz, R-Fla., "was
worried, let me tell you what I'm basing that on."
"You've seen the number of stories out there, and the
emphasis is on their relationship. Isn't it obvious to assume that he would be
concerned?" Scheller said.
A change-of-plea hearing is scheduled for Monday morning in
federal court in Orlando. It's unclear what charges Greenberg will plead guilty
to, and a judge would have to sign off on any agreement.
The plea change indicates that Greenberg has agreed to
cooperate with the government. It's uncertain what that means for the
investigation of Gaetz.
The U.S. attorney's office and Scheller declined to comment.
Federal investigators are looking into whether Gaetz and
Greenberg used the internet to search for women they could pay for sex. They
are also investigating whether Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a minor and
paid for her to travel with him, The New York Times reported, as well as
whether he paid women to travel to the Bahamas for sex, according to a law
enforcement official and another person familiar with the matter.
Gaetz, who hasn't been charged with any crime, has
repeatedly denied wrongdoing.
In an op-ed last month in the Washington Examiner, Gaetz
wrote: "Since I'm taking my turn under the gun, let me address the
allegations against me directly. First, I have never, ever paid for sex. And
second, I, as an adult man, have not slept with a 17-year-old."
Gaetz, an ally of former President Donald Trump, has vowed
not to resign. He said the "bizarre claims" were retaliation for his
challenging "the most powerful institutions in the Beltway."
Greenberg, who Gaetz once said should run for Congress, has
been charged with 33 counts stemming from his time as an elected tax official.
"Greenberg used his position as Seminole County Tax
Collector to engage in, and facilitate, the commission of federal offenses,
including sex trafficking of a child, illegally obtaining personal information
from a motor vehicle record ... illegally producing identification and false
identification documents, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud and money
laundering," federal prosecutors said in one of the indictments.
An audit also found that he misspent over $5 million in
taxpayer money in his three years in office, including $384,000 on body armor,
weapons, ammunition and a drone with thermal imaging capabilities, Spectrum
News 13 of Orlando reported. He also created a security force that was later
dissolved, the audit said.
The investigation of Greenberg began after he was accused of
using phony identities to smear a teacher who was challenging his re-election
campaign, accusing the person of having engaged in "sexual misconduct with
a student."
A spokesman for Gaetz, Harlan Hill, made note of that charge
when asked for comment about the change-of-plea hearing.
"The first indictment of Joel Greenberg alleges that he
falsely accused another man of sex with a minor for his own gain. That was
apparently innocent. So is Congressman Gaetz," Hill said.
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