Joel Greenberg, an associate of GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz, has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a child.
The 37-year-old politician was arrested and charged last year with 33 federal crimes stemming from his time as a Florida tax official. TheHuffington Post reports Greenberg pleaded guilty to six of those charges—including aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and the aforementioned sex trafficking of a child—as part of a federal plea deal. The latter charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years behind bars, while the others carry a maximum of 20 years.
The agreement states Greenberg may receive a reduced sentence as long as he upholds his agreement to fully cooperate in the federal investigation in connection to child sex crimes. It’s reported that Greenberg is willing to testify that he introduced a minor “to other men, who engaged in commercial sex acts” in Florida. And although court documents don’t identify the “other men” by name, there’s speculation that Rep. Gaetz (R-Fla.) could be one of them.
Back in March, the New York Times reported federal agents were trying to determine whether Gaetz had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, an allegation that was stemmed from Greenberg’s prosecution. Gaetz, who has not been charged with any crime, has repeatedly denied the accusations and said he has no intentions to resign from Congress.
“Congressman Gaetz doesn’t seem to be named nor referenced in Mr. Greenberg’s plea. Congressman Gaetz has never had sex with a minor and has never paid for sex,” Gaetz spokesperson Harland Hill said in a statement to The Hill. “Mr. Greenberg has now plead guilty to falsely accusing someone else of sex with a minor. That person was innocent. So is Congressman Gaetz.”
