A former friend of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, the ex-Florida tax collector whose arrest sparked a federal investigation into him, was given an 11-year prison term on Thursday for sex trafficking with minor and other offences.
In a plea agreement, Joel Greenberg agreed to cooperate with federal authorities and admitted guilt to six offences, including the sex trafficking of minors, identity theft, stalking, wire fraud, and conspiracy to bribe a public official.
According to the prosecution, Greenberg paid at least one youngster to engage in sexual activity with him and other individuals.
Greenberg stated, “I let you down, and I betrayed your trust,” during the sentencing hearing on Thursday.
In addition, Greenberg expressed regret to his family, the Seminole County citizens for whom he was tax collector, as well as the teacher he defamed when she decided to run against him.
His cooperation with federal authorities may be useful in determining whether Gaetz is being investigated for allegedly trafficking a 17-year-old girl in sex.
Gaetz has previously asserted that all accusations of impropriety are part of an extortion scheme and has rejected all of them. The Republican congressman, who represents a sizable portion of the Florida Panhandle, has not been charged.
Beginning in 2017, at about the time he and Gaetz grew close, Greenberg began his scandal-riddled tenure as the tax collector for Seminole County. Greenberg met the child the same year on a website that claimed to be a location where “sugar daddies” could locate “sugar babies,” according to the plea bargain in his federal prosecution.
The plea agreement for Greenberg did not mention Gaetz.
