Gaetz is not expected to beryllium criminally charged. | Drew Angerer/Getty Images
A Florida collectibles trader connected to a national probe that astatine 1 clip was besides linked to Rep. Matt Gaetz was sentenced connected Tuesday to 15 months successful prison.
A national justice sentenced Joe Ellicott, nicknamed “Big Joe,” connected 1 number of conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud and honorable services fraud and 1 number of distributing controlled substances.
Ellicott successful February pleaded blameworthy successful the case, which was linked to erstwhile Seminole County, Fla., Tax Collector Joel Greenberg. Greenberg antecedently pleaded blameworthy to six charges, including enactment trafficking a teen and defrauding section taxpayers, and volition beryllium sentenced successful December. Ellicott was a groomsman astatine Greenberg’s wedding. Greenberg was erstwhile referred to arsenic Gaetz’s “wingman,” and his lawsuit sparked the larger probe into the Florida GOP lawmaker.
“A large information of the simplification and getting what we got was [because of] Joe’s remorse and knowing the seriousness of it,” Rob Mandell, Ellicott’s lawyer, said successful an interview. “It’s a accidental for Mr. Ellicott to determination past this and determination connected to the adjacent signifier of his life. He understands however this affected the radical of Seminole County. Hopefully helium tin redeem himself successful the future.”
Mandell said the Bureau of Prisons volition designate a installation for Ellicott wrong 45 days: “They’ll fto america cognize and past that’s wherever he’ll crook himself in.”
Ellicott was 1 of respective men, including Gaetz, listed connected a December 2020 national expansive assemblage subpoena. The grand assemblage was looking into alleged crimes “involving commercialized enactment acts with big and insignificant women, arsenic good arsenic obstruction of justice.”
Federal authorities were investigating whether Gaetz had enactment with a insignificant and paid her for it. The investigation, however, appears to beryllium coming to a adjacent and the GOP Florida congressman is not expected to beryllium criminally charged. Gaetz has maintained his innocence.
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