Gaetz associate admits to sex trafficking of a minor, agrees in writing to cooperate fully with pros

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Gaetz associate admits to sex trafficking of a minor, agrees in writing to cooperate fully with prosecutors

By Matt Zapotosky and Devlin Barrett
May 14, 2021 at 6:07 p.m. EDT

A Florida politician considered key to the investigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz agreed to cooperate fully with federal prosecutors and, if needed, to testify in court, as he admitted in a lengthy written plea agreement that he paid a minor to engage in sex acts with him and others, according to a copy of the document filed Friday.

Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector for Seminole County, agreed to plead guilty to six criminal charges — including sex trafficking of a child, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud — which come with a mandatory minimum sentence of 12 years and a statutory maximum potentially decades longer.

In exchange, the prosecutors agreed to dismiss the other 27 counts Greenberg faced and recommend a term within federal sentencing guidelines, which are often far less than the statutory maximum penalties. They also agreed to recommend other possible sentencing breaks, especially if Greenberg provides meaningful help on other cases.

The agreement, which still must be accepted by a judge, is an ominous sign for Gaetz. Even before he had accepted a plea deal, Greenberg had been outlining to prosecutors how he and Gaetz (R-Fla.) would pay women for sex, in hopes of convincing them he could be a witness against the congressman and earn a break for himself.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/matt-gaetz-joel-greenberg-plea-deal/2021/05/14/6e2b56e8-b42b-11eb-a980-a60af976ed44_story.html

[RockRaven]

1. Holy shit. 12 year mandatory minimum...

That "mandatory" is binding even with the cooperation, yeah?

I can't wait until it is Gaetz's turn.