And indications in court last week that he plans to plead guilty, suggesting he will cooperate with prosecutors, further prompted former friends to abandon him. His Facebook page features an undated photo of himself at the Western Wall. We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. Read more: Matt Gaetz says hes part of a $25M extortion plot. Audits show that Greenberg used public funds to pay for $384,000 in body armor, unspecified weapons, ammunition, as well as a drone with thermal imaging capabilities, News13, a local broadcaster, reported. Greenberg, in turn, came to Gaetzs defense when the congressman was accused of inadvertently inviting a Holocaust denier to Trumps 2018 State of the Union address. The government alleged that he used his access to Floridas database to recruit minors into a sugar daddy relationship, acquiring photos and driving license information. The second indictment against Greenberg alleges that he trafficked a minor female aged between 14 and 18, and used state databases to illegally obtain information about her and others. ORLANDO, Fla. - Wearing a black corrections shirt and a mask, disgraced former Seminole County Tax . The inquiry , The special counsel is also investigating Mr. Trumps. He engaged in sex acts with a minor at least seven times while she was underage. [11], Federal agents arrested Greenberg at his home on June 23, 2020; he resigned the following day after being released on bail. The Times reported that Greenberg once visited the White House with Gaetz, pointing to the above photo that Greenberg posted on Twitter. Anti-Trump Republicans Face Major Challenge in Launching Third Party, Cheney Defiant After Censure: GOP Not the Party of 'QAnon or Antisemitism', Haaretz Daily Newspaper Ltd. All Rights Reserved, Matt Gaetz says hes part of a $25M extortion plot. In 2018, he posed with Gaetz and a Florida GOP political operative at the annual AIPAC conference. The Muslim woman accused him of firing minority employees. Asked what he would like to be one day, he answered, I want to be a good person.. to Greenbergs reelection campaign last year. Asking for a friend. That, according to the Orlando news site, led to calls for his resignation. His mother-in-law called the police. News reports alleged financial mismanagement. The same day, Greenberg posted a photo of Gaetz, Trump and first lady Melania Trump with Gaetz holding Greenbergs daughter. According to Greenbergs estranged wife, the couples only joint asset is their home, which they purchased in 2019 for $600,000. Being elected tax collector could have offered Mr. Greenberg a stable, if low-profile, career in government. Those contracts included $380,000 for body armor, weapons, and ammunition, as well as $15,000 for office sprinklers that could be aimed at people outside his office. Defending himself in 2018 against the Islamophobia charge, Greenberg said that one of his brothers is. Mr. Greenberg made the speaking lineup at a Trump rally in Sanford, Fla., in 2016. Greenbergs mother-in-law emphatically told police he was unwelcome. The following Monday, an employee found the alarm deactivated and drivers licenses strewn over a desk. Gaetz Associate Admits Introducing Other Adult Men To Minor For Paid Sex In Guilty Plea As Gaetz Maintains Innocence (Forbes), Judge Approves Plea Deal For Matt Gaetzs Friend Joel Greenberg (Forbes), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) (Photo by Samuel, Gaetz Associate Admits Introducing Other Adult Men To Minor For Paid Sex In Guilty Plea As Gaetz Maintains Innocence, Judge Approves Plea Deal For Matt Gaetzs Friend Joel Greenberg. Joel Greenberg in a headshot from the Seminole County Tax Collector's office. The inquiry one of two casesinherited in November by the special counsel, Jack Smith could be completed by spring or early summer. [8], Over the course of Greenberg's employment as a tax collector, he was reported to have spent over $1 million on contracts and other purchases. He defeated incumbent Ray Valdes, who had held the office for 30 years. Gaetz represents the Panhandle in northwest Florida, while Greenbergs Seminole County is in the states center. The Greenberg affair, outlandish as it was, might have never made waves outside of Central Florida if not for the ties investigators found to other Republicans the Seminole County Republican mafia, Mr. Bear called it and Mr. Gaetz. Theres a little cut on her head. Joel Greenberg is a millionaire, mostly because of . The woman, according to two people familiar with their relationship, had previously had sex with Mr. Greenberg and received money from him on mobile payment apps; she had been leaving his house, the people said. Seminole is a suburban county of about half a million people northeast of Orlando. Some of this money was funneled through a private company he created and ran from government buildings, called Government Blockchain Systems LLC. Copyright 2023 ClickOrlando.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Defending himself in 2018 against the Islamophobia charge, Greenberg said that one of his brothers is Black. Mr. Greenberg and Mr. Gaetz met through the tight-knit group of prominent Trump backers in Florida in 2017, according to a person familiar with the matter. searched Mar-a-Lago, has been complicatedby the discovery that President Bidenand former Vice President Mike Pencealso had classified files in their possession. The investigation into Gaetz became public knowledge last year, and reports emerged that Greenberg was cooperating, but the probe has stalled and charges are unlikely, multiple outlets have reported (Gaetz has denied the allegations). I think its fun to have a discussion.. His friendships gave him a taste of greater power. The indictment says he created false drivers licenses. In August of 2018, Greenberg posted a gratuitous anti-Muslim remark on his Facebook page: Name just ONE society in the developed world that has benefited in ANY WAY from the introduction of more Muslims. On separate occasions, Greenberg used his tax collector badge to stop a woman he said was speeding and to try and persuade a traffic cop not to ticket him for speeding. Joel Micah Greenberg (born February 4, 1984) is an American politician and former tax collector of Seminole County, Florida. We need to open the damn economy. April 1, 2021. He also formed DG3 Network, which was inactive until Greenberg filed paperwork with the state to revive it just days after his arrest in June 2020. Greenberg broke parole this month when he figured out his wife had decamped from their home to her mothers house 2 1/2 hours away. The first indictment was handed down in June 2020. It was this allegation, the Times reported, that led federal investigators to Gaetz. In 2018, Gaetz predicted that Greenberg would one day be a great member of Congress, The Times said. Joel Greenberg, who is incarcerated in the Orange County jail, is facing a minimum of 12 years in prison after pleading guilty in May to six federal charges including sex trafficking of a child, illegally producing a false identification document, aggravated identity theft, stalking, wire fraud and conspiracy. He tested the boundaries of what he could get away with, until it all imploded. Seminole County elected a criminal into office, unknowingly, said J.R. Kroll, a Republican who was elected tax collector last year, after Mr. Greenbergs resignation. Everyone thinks that with a name like Joel Micah Greenberg that hes a member of the Tribe, but hes not, said Dictor, a liberal Democrat who launched her challenge to Greenberg before his arrest forced him out of the race. Among an array of charges, Greenberg has been indicted for stalking a political rival, sex trafficking of a child, illegally obtaining information from Florida state databases and identity theft. The parties have no joint assets other than the marital home because (Joel Greenberg) sold or disposed of much of their marital assets to fund his criminal activities, Abby Greenbergs attorney Clayton D. Simmons wrote. Court papers do not indicate the value of Joel Greenbergs cryptocurrency account nor the anticipated sale price of their home. Im Jewish, which is probably one of the most hated groups. But he had run as a reformer and appeared to bask in the trappings of his new role. Its tough consensus can be difficult to find but in this case, I can confidently say that Greenbergs hateful rhetoric does not represent the Jewish community. Greenbergs mother-in-law emphatically told police he was unwelcome. Mr. Greenberg attended Rollins College right before making the move to try out a lifelong dream of broadcasting. [16] By the end of that March, the Justice Department added an additional 21 criminal charges to Greenberg's indictment, including cryptocurrency fraud, SBA loan fraud (allegedly receiving fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loans for two defunct corporations), wire fraud, conspiracy to bribe a public official and theft of government property. The investigation, anonymous officials told The New York Times, stemmed from a federal probe of Greenberg, a friend and political ally of Gaetz. The page has promoted among others. Time to disobey the orders and stand up for our civil liberties being shit on, the site quoted him as saying on social media of COVID-19 lockdowns. It involves Iran and a missing Jewish FBI agent. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Gaetz gave $1,000 to Greenbergs reelection campaign last year. Abby Greenberg, who is a real estate agent, would receive a commission from the sale from the home that is necessary to support the couples two children since Joel Greenberg is not paying any child support or alimony, according to the court filing. Another selfie he posted in 2017 is with Milo Yiannopoulos, the far-right activist infamous for a long article in Breitbart whitewashing white supremacists. Recently, prosecutors under the current district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg, appearto have moved closer than everto indicting the former president. [30] Greenberg married his wife, Abby, in 2016 and has a son and a daughter.[31]. Greenberg got support in both his campaigns from a Facebook page, Central Florida Post, founded by Jacob Engels, who has been named as an associate of Roger Stone. Rep. Matt . According to the Times, Greenberg was a political ally of Gaetz. The vast majority of Jews in Central Florida appreciate our Muslim brothers and sisters and value our shared American experience., One of my best friends is Muslim, and I have a Black brother, Greenberg, . The neighbor said the woman was calling a friend. But then, Greenberg knows the risks of keeping controversial company. Like the Tiger King Got Elected Tax Collector: Inside the Case That Ensnared Matt Gaetz, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/11/us/politics/joel-greenberg-matt-gaetz.html. However, there is no record of his family ever being involved in local politics. As part of her divorce petition, Abby Greenberg is asking a judge to award her the home as an equitable distribution to offset the lack of any child support. Social media accounts popped up making other repugnant claims about him. News 6 is Getting Results. Joel Greenberg broke curfew to look for wife in South Florida, police report says. Joel Greenberg in jail photo Courtesy of wftv.com, By Mark I. Pinsky Joel Greenberg asks for delay in his sentencing. Abby Greenberg also wants the judge to liquidate her estranged husbands cryptocurrency account and award her half the proceeds. Greenberg attended Rollins College, a liberal arts college in Florida, but did not graduate. The people of Seminole County deserve better than this. In August 2018, he shared a social media post that said: Very simple questionName just ONE society in the developed world that has benefited in ANY WAY from the introduction of more Muslims. The vast majority of Jews in Central Florida appreciate our Muslim brothers and sisters and value our shared American experience.. One of my best friends is Muslim, and I have a Black brother, Greenberg told the Orlando Weekly. His bond was revoked on March 3, 2021, and a federal judge denied Greenberg a new bail, ordering him into custody for the remainder of the case. Greenberg was raised in a Christian family and attended a Christian church. Three of the people on the payroll were in his wedding party. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Records and interviews detailed a litany of accusations: Mr. Greenberg strutted into work with a pistol on his hip in a state that does not allow guns to be openly carried. Another selfie he posted in 2017 is with Milo Yiannopoulos, the far-right activist infamous for a long article in Breitbart whitewashing white supremacists. Blockchain Pioneer. replacement. He spent at least $2.65 million on a security force and for consultants; staffers could not say what the consultants did. But an opposition group defeated the project in 2018, and eventually its leader, a music teacher named Brian A. Beute, decided he wanted to go beyond activism and run for office, filing a 2020 candidacy against Mr. Greenberg. The Times said its not clear how Greenberg, 35, got to know Gaetz, 38. : In 2016 he filed a report accusing Valdes of assault, but the prosecutor said Engels was only seeking a confrontation. Gaetz contributed the maximum amount to Greenbergs campaign, and brought him along to a visit to the White House, according to the Times. He continues to focus on providing faster, more efficient customer service by embracing new technology to improve customer interactions and access to our offices., READ NEXT: Wife Shoots D.C. Police Detective Husband After Sharing Wedding Video, Police Say, Joel Greenberg: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. (JTA) Matt Gaetz, the Trump-boosting Florida congressman known for his firebomb rhetoric, is in big trouble in part because of the alleged foibles of a Jewish buddy, Joel Greenberg, who has earned criticism previously from his local Jewish community. Here (from the Orlando Sentinel and others) is a sampling: Gaetz and Greenberg are close but just how close? Joel Greenberg friend Joe Ellicott pleads guilty to bribery, drug charge in Florida Martin E. Comas, Orlando Sentinel 2/10/2022. No one wants to talk to me anymore, Mr. Greenberg told The Orlando Sentinel in the fall. Another selfie he, is with Milo Yiannopoulos, the far-right activist. Gaetz is a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump. In the second half of 2017, the indictment charged that Greenberg did knowingly recruit, entice, obtain, maintain, patronize and solicit by any means the Minor Victim, with the knowledge that his victim was underage and that he was seeking a commercial sexual relationship. Mr. Dorworth announced on Friday that he had resigned from the firm. If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000. She reviewed surveillance video and saw Mr. Greenberg with another man by that desk. Hes exactly what we need in Florida to energize the MAGA movement. He retweeted another Gaetz tweet that read, The Iraq War was a tragic failure.. Powered by. The letters falsely represented that they had been sent by an anonymous very concerned student of the school who had information that the school employee had engaged in sexual misconduct with a particular student, which Greenberg knew was false., According to the release, Greenberg also caused a Facebook account to be set up that claimed to belong to a very concerned teacher at the school where the school employee had worked. When Greenberg was 15, he and his mother, Susan Greenberg, told a sports columnist for The Sentinel that he had benefited from the mentorship of an Orlando Magic basketball player, John. 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