A former Florida tax collector and associate of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) is expected to plead guilty to federal charges on Monday as part of a “change of plea hearing.”
Joel Greenberg currently faces 33 charges for various crimes including sex trafficking of a minor and stealing from the tax office he once led, according to The Daily Beast.
Although Greenberg previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, he has been been working on a plea deal for weeks with federal prosecutors, who are investigating whether Greenberg and Gaetz paid or offered gifts to underage girls in exchange for sex, as well as Gaetz’s connections to the medical marijuana industry.
Gaetz has denied the allegations and said he will not resign from Congress.
Greenberg has reportedly been cooperating with authorities since last year, and allegedly provided information about the Republican congressman.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Greenberg won the Florida tax collector’s job in 2016 and soon became involved in various controversies, including allegedly
- Using millions of tax dollars to hand out lucrative contracts to friends, business partners and political associates.
- Banning a county commissioner from entering the county’s tax collector’s offices.
- Setting up a blockchain business within his government office.
- Impersonating a police officer and pulling a woman over for speeding.
- Sending fake letters to a private school accusing a teacher (his political opponent) of sexually abusing a student.