Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector in Florida, pleaded guilty this Thursday in the city of Orlando, Florida, to six of the 33 charges that were brought against him and which included
sex trafficking of minors, identity theft and electronic fraud
, among others.
Greenberg's case has attracted media attention because of his connection, according to Justice Department investigations, with Florida Republican lawmaker Matt Gaetz over alleged allegations of
engaging in sexual misconduct with a minor.
The Ethics Committee of the Lower House of Congress opened an investigation to Gaetz on those accusations and also to determine if he misused the identification records and sharing videos of “inappropriate content” in the Plenary.
[Legislator Matt Gaetz denies having sex with a minor and denounces a plot to extort him]
Greenberg is expected to cooperate with prosecutors in an investigation involving Gaetz, one of former President Donald Trump's greatest allies.
To date,
Gaetz has not been charged with any crime
and has denied wrongdoing.
Judge Hoffman detailed this Thursday that Greenberg is in the federal custody of the US Marshals, pending sentencing.
Drawing that shows Joel Greenberg, right, with his lawyer Fritz Scheller, during a hearing in a federal court in Orlando, Florida, this May 17, 2021.AP / AP
The agreement with Greenberg includes "cooperating fully in the investigation and prosecution of others." In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop a score of charges from a previous indictment. She now faces a minimum of 12 years in prison, but the judge can reduce her sentence depending on her cooperation.
[Republican Party removes Liz Cheney from leadership in Congress over criticism of Trump]
The defendant admitted that he paid women for sex, including a minor with whom he engaged in "commercial sex acts."
The agreement details that Greenberg "introduced the minor to other adult men, who engaged in commercial sexual acts with the minor."
With information from EFE and AP
