ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor's Note: The video in the player above is from when Joel Greenberg pleaded guilty in 2021.
A federal judge has agreed to delay the sentencing of a former Florida tax collector, whose arrest led to a probe of U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, so that he can continue cooperating with federal prosecutors.
Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg had been scheduled for sentencing next month, but U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell said Monday that postponing the sentencing “is in the interest of justice.”
The sentencing date had already been pushed back from last fall.
U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg said in court papers that prosecutors supported the postponement “because it would allow the United States to further advance aspects of pending investigations.”
Greenberg pleaded guilty in May 2021 to six criminal charges, including sex trafficking with a child. Under the plea agreement, Greenberg agreed to fully cooperate with the U.S. in its investigation and prosecution of others.
According to the Department of Justice, Greenberg faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to, life in prison for the sex trafficking of a child charge and two years for aggravated identity theft.
While Gaetz was not mentioned in the court hearings for that, the plea agreement signaled that Greenberg could potentially serve as a key witness in the Justice Department’s investigation.
Federal prosecutors are examining whether Gaetz and Greenberg paid underage girls or offered them gifts in exchange for sex, according to people familiar with the matter. From the beginning, Gaetz has vehemently denied the allegations and any wrongdoing.