Former Gaetz Confidant Is Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison - The New York Times

Politics|Former Gaetz Confidant Is Sentenced to 11 Years successful Prison

ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida taxation collector who has been cooperating with the Justice Department successful its enactment trafficking probe into Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, was sentenced connected Thursday by a national justice to 11 years successful prison.

The taxation collector, Joel Greenberg, had faced up to astir 3 decades successful situation for a litany of crimes helium had committed, including enactment trafficking a 17-year-old girl, stalking a governmental rival and stealing $400,000 successful payer wealth to bargain cryptocurrencies and acquisition sports memorabilia. But successful the hopes of receiving a lesser sentence, helium had cooperated with the authorities successful a bid of investigations, including into Mr. Gaetz.

“He has provided important practice to the authorities — much than I’ve seen successful 22 years,” said United States District Judge Gregory A. Presnell.

At the aforesaid time, though, the justice excoriated Mr. Greenberg’s behavior.

“In 22 years I’ve ne'er experienced a lawsuit similar this,” Judge Presnell said, adding, “I person ne'er seen a suspect who has committed truthful galore antithetic types of crimes successful specified a abbreviated period.”

It is not wide what the sentencing means for the Justice Department’s probe of Mr. Gaetz, who is simply a adjacent state of erstwhile President Donald J. Trump and has been nether probe for implicit a twelvemonth and a fractional but has not been charged with a crime.

Mr. Greenberg has told national authorities that helium witnessed Mr. Gaetz person enactment with the 17-year-old miss and that she was paid. In documents filed successful transportation with Mr. Greenberg’s sentencing, the Justice Department said helium had “provided truthful and timely information” that led to the charging of astatine slightest 4 different individuals and “provided important assistance connected different matters” that the authorities would code lone successful a sealed filing.

But determination are respective hurdles to bringing a lawsuit against Mr. Gaetz, who had denied immoderate wrongdoing. Among the challenges is that the miss has said she does not judge she was a victim.

Mr. Greenberg’s lawyer, Fritz Scheller, has complained that the Justice Department has not charged those whom Mr. Greenberg implicated successful the enactment trafficking. Such a prosecution would person highlighted the benefits of Mr. Greenberg’s practice erstwhile it came to sentencing him.

In documents filed with the tribunal successful the pb up to Mr. Greenberg’s sentencing, Mr. Scheller said the Justice Department’s was unwilling to complaint those whom Mr. Greenberg implicated contempt trying to enactment Mr. Greenberg down bars for much than a decade.

“If the authorities is truthful acrophobic with wide deterrence, past wherefore hasn’t it prosecuted the different individuals, including nationalist figures, who were besides progressive successful Greenberg’s offenses?” Mr. Scheller said. “Indeed, Greenberg’s plea statement refers to the engagement of aggregate co-conspirators, including individuals progressive successful his enactment offense.” He added that Mr. Greenberg’s relationship had been corroborated “by different witnesses and records.”

Mr. Greenberg came from a well-to-do Florida household that owned a concatenation of dentist offices. Mr. Scheller said successful tribunal connected Thursday that Mr. Greenberg struggled arsenic a kid with affectional and attraction shortage issues, which helium said yet led to bipolar disorder.

Mr. Greenberg had tried arsenic an big to marque it arsenic a businessman but failed. He again struggled with addiction issues but managed to triumph predetermination successful 2016 successful Seminole County, Fla., arsenic its taxation collector, portraying himself arsenic a section mentation of Mr. Trump who could basal retired corruption.

But astir immediately, helium started to usage payer wealth to wage for enactment arsenic helium tried to ingratiate himself with up-and-coming Republicans successful Florida authorities politics, by providing them with drugs and entree to women and girls. His behaviour continued to rotation retired of power until helium was arrested successful June 2020.