A lawyer for Joel Greenberg, a former Florida tax collector and associate of Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, asked a federal judge on Tuesday to delay his client’s sentencing date by 90 days.
Greenberg’s cooperation with prosecutors in connection to a federal sex trafficking investigation, which could knock time off the 12-year sentence he faces, will not be fully resolved by the time of his sentencing date of Aug. 19, his lawyer Fritz Scheller said in court filings.
“Pursuant to his plea agreement with the Government, Mr. Greenberg has been cooperating with the Government and has participated in a series of proffers,” Scheller wrote. “Said cooperation, which could impact his ultimate sentence, cannot be completed prior to the time of his sentencing. The parties expect that Mr. Greenberg will participate in additional proffers, and a continuance would provide Mr. Greenberg with additional time to do so prior to his sentencing.”
MATT GAETZ SAYS HE’S ‘LEADING THE FREE BRITNEY MOVEMENT IN CONGRESS’
Greenberg, 37, also needs an extension to work out how much in restitution he will likely have to pay in connection to identity theft charges, Scheller said.
“Because the restitution issue involves multiple parties and disputed amounts, the matter cannot be resolved prior to Mr. Greenberg’s current sentencing date,” he wrote.
Greenberg pleaded guilty to six federal charges in May, including the sex trafficking of a minor, stalking, wire fraud, identity theft, and conspiracy to bribe a public official.
The guilty plea came less than two months after news reports revealed that Greenberg’s friend, Gaetz, was also under federal investigation for sex trafficking. Gaetz has denied ever having sex with a minor and has said the investigation was part of an extortion campaign against his family.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The Justice Department reportedly expanded its investigation into Gaetz to examine whether he obstructed justice in connection with the investigation into him and Greenberg.
