Greenberg admitted to making more than 150 transactions totaling more than $70,000 to arrange liaisons with young women he met through a sugar daddy website. Through that site, he met a 17-year-old girl with whom he met at hotels and engaged in criminal sex acts at least seven times in 2017. He and the girl often used the drug Ecstacy. Greenberg also introduced the minor to other adult men, who engaged in criminal sex acts with the minor, his plea agreement states.
Investigators are attempting to determine whether Gaetz was one of those adult men.
The Daily Beast has reported on a letter Greenberg had written to presidential adviser Roger Stone seeking help in getting a pardon from then-President Donald Trump. In the letter, Greenberg referenced the congressman from Florida s 1st Congressional District being involved in sexual activities with several of the other girls.
During the hearing, Hoffman asked Greenberg dozens of yes or no questions pertaining to his understanding of the agreement, the facts of the case and his competency. She went through each of the six counts, and each time, Greenberg responded, Guilty.
After the hearing, he was taken back into custody by U.S. marshals to await his sentencing, which is expected to be sometime in early August.
Professing guilt is first step
About two hours after the hearing, Scheller took about two dozen questions from reporters but avoided making the kind of splash he had in early April after announcing Greenberg was cooperating with authorities.
Then-Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg talks to the Orlando Sentinel in September 2019 during an interview at his office in Lake Mary, Florida.
The embattled former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg issued guilty pleas to six federal charges including sex trafficking of a child.
Embattled former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg has entered guilty pleas to six federal charges including sex trafficking of a child. Greenberg appeared in the federal court in Orlando this morning.
Greenberg was handcuffed and wore a dark jail jumpsuit. When asked whether he was pleading guilty because he was guilty he stated: “I am.” Florida congressman Matt Gaetz is not mentioned in the plea agreement, nor was he mentioned during the hearing.
Embattled former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg has entered guilty pleas to six federal charges including sex trafficking of a child.
Greenberg appeared in the federal court in Orlando this morning. Greenberg was handcuffed and wore a dark jail jumpsuit.
When asked whether he was pleading guilty because he was guilty he stated:“I am.” Florida congressman Matt Gaetz is not mentioned in the plea agreement, nor was he mentioned during the hearing.
The agreement implies Greenberg will serve as a witness in the Justice Department’s investigation into Gaetz. Under the plea agreement Greenberg admits he paid an underage girl to have sex with him and other unidentified men. It also says Greenberg will “cooperate fully with the United States in the investigation and prosecution of other persons,” although the agreement does not name Gaetz.