A former employee for the tax collector of Seminole County, Florida, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison in an investigation that ensnared an ally of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and, at one time, the congressman himself.
Joe Ellicott was sentenced Tuesday after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud and one count of distribution of a controlled substance in February.
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“I not only failed my family but the hundreds of thousands of taxpayers of Seminole County. For that, I am so sorry,” Ellicott said at his sentencing.
Ellicott, nicknamed “Big Joe,” was close friends with former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg, who pleaded guilty to charges of sex trafficking of a child, illegally producing a false identification document, aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, stalking, and conspiracy in May 2021.
Greenberg was considered a political ally and “wingman” of Gaetz. Although the wide-ranging federal investigation produced charges against Greenberg and Ellicott, it was recently reported that prosecutors have recommended not charging Gaetz charged with any crimes.
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Gaetz has maintained his innocence, and no charges have been brought against him.
