Joel Greenberg was once a rising political personality in Seminole County, Florida, who unseated an incumbent for county tax collector. He won a battle for his deputies to carry guns on their tax collecting jobs, and flaunted his ties to Trump, Roger Stone, and Matt Gaetz.
Then last June he resigned as a federal arrest for stalking and child sex trafficking charges brought him down. The case against him prompted an investigation announced on Tuesday alleging that Matt Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, and paid for her to travel across state lines for sex.
New allegations were detailed in an indictment filed Tuesday against Greenberg — the former Seminole County tax collector’s fourth — including charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to bribe a public official and theft of government property.
The new indictment charges that Greenberg carried out a scheme to defraud the Tax Collector’s Office and Seminole County “of money and property” — using his elected position to “embezzle and divert” more than $400,000, including through purchases of digital currency.
Joel Greenberg has made a lot of headlines in his short time in Florida politics.
Rachel Maddow had some background information on Greenberg.
Greenberg now faces at least 33 federal charges, including previously revealed allegations that he stalked a political opponent, illegally used a state database to create fake IDs and sex-trafficked a minor.
Greenberg awaits his trial, currently scheduled for mid-June, while in custody in the Orange County Jail. Arraignment on new charges is scheduled for April 9.
Source info at Washington Post and South Florida Sun Sentinel