Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg speaks to the Orlando Sentinel during an interview at his Lake Mary, Florida office. Greenberg was accused of trafficking a minor, persecuting a political opponent, producing forged ID, identity theft, embezzlement and bribery.
Joe Burbank | Orlando Sentinel | AP
Joel Greenberg, a friend of Rep. Matt Gaetz, has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal case related to the investigation of the Republican lawmaker and Trump’s ally into sexual trafficking, court records show.
Greenberg is due to appear in federal court in Orlando, Florida Monday morning to change the hearing.
Greenberg, a Florida tax collector, has been charged with underage sex trafficking, stalking, cable fraud, and identity theft, among other charges. He pleaded not guilty to these charges, but his attorney and prosecutor told a judge at a hearing last month that Greenberg was expected to close a plea deal.
Greenberg’s lawyer Fritz Scheller told reporters after the hearing: “I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very well today.”
Scheller later said, “You’ve seen the number of stories out there and the focus is on their relationship. Isn’t it obvious to assume he’d be concerned?”
Gaetz, who represents Florida’s first congressional district in the panhandle, has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with criminal charges.
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