Reduced sentence, prison time for Gaetz’s Central Florida friend

ORLANDO, Fla. – A former Florida tax collector whose arrest on intercourse trafficking and id theft fees led to a probe of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz ought to get his sentence decreased for cooperating with authorities, however he nonetheless deserves prison time to ship a message that no public official is above the regulation, federal prosecutors mentioned in courtroom papers.

Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg is dealing with a 12-year prison sentence when he’s sentenced in federal courtroom in Orlando, Florida in two weeks. But he has been cooperating with federal brokers and has offered help in a number of probes, main prosecutors to ask for a decreased sentence. However, no different causes ought to be thought-about for every other downward departures, prosecutors mentioned in courtroom papers filed this month.

The courtroom filings from prosecutors did not specify what number of years in prison Greenberg’s sentence ought to be adjusted if his cooperation is a part of the calculation. Prosecutors mentioned it ought to be decreased by 10 ranges within the federal pointers, which assigns a base offense degree for every kind of crime.

“It thus appears that the only thing that can be done to protect the public from Greenberg, and to deter him from future criminal conduct, is for him to remain in prison,” prosecutors mentioned in a sentencing memorandum filed this week. “This will serve to deter Greenberg from future criminal conduct, but will also send a message to others, that public officials are not above the law.”

Greenberg is dealing with sentencing on six federal crimes, together with intercourse trafficking of a kid, id theft, stalking, wire fraud and conspiracy to bribe a public official. Prosecutors mentioned he had paid a minimum of one underage woman to have intercourse with him and different males. Greenberg pleaded guilty to the fees final 12 months.

Greenberg’s cooperation might play a job within the ongoing probe into Gaetz, who’s being investigated over whether or not he paid a 17-year-old for intercourse. Gaetz has denied the allegations and beforehand mentioned they have been a part of an extortion plot. Gaetz, a Republican, represents a big a part of the Florida Panhandle. No fees have been introduced in opposition to the congressman.

U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell agreed to prosecutors’ request to seal courtroom papers coping with an ongoing, unnamed investigation. The request was made “in order to safeguard from public scrutiny certain sensitive information regarding pending criminal investigations which would come to light were the proceedings to become public knowledge,” prosecutors said.

The Greenberg plea agreement said the former tax collector admitted being “involved in what are sometimes referred to as ‘sugar daddy’ relationships where he paid women for sex, but attempted to disguise the payments as ‘school-related’ expenses or other living expenses.”

Greenberg has been linked to a number of other Florida politicians and their associates. So far, none of them has been implicated by name in the sex trafficking probe.

Greenberg attorney Fritz Scheller said in court papers this week that the reduced sentence request by prosecutors is insufficient given that Greenberg’s cooperation has led to investigations or prosecutions of seven people. Scheller asked the judge for a greater reduction of 16 levels.

“At this point, his cooperation has led to multiple federal indictments and convictions, with more to come,” Scheller mentioned.

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