Prosecutors: Gaetz pal Greenberg is providing new information

By David Shortell | CNN

Joel Greenberg, the erstwhile Florida authoritative whose crimes successful the authorities ensnared Rep. Matt Gaetz successful a national enactment trafficking investigation, has been providing the Justice Department with caller accusation arsenic helium continues to cooperate with authorities pursuing a blameworthy plea earlier this year.

At a little proceeding successful Orlando national tribunal Monday, Roger Handberg, an adjunct US attorney, said that Greenberg has made allegations to investigators that “take america to immoderate places we did not anticipate.”

“What investigators bash is they travel up connected that to effort to corroborate the accusation that’s been provided,” Handberg said.

Greenberg, a erstwhile region taxation commissioner and adjacent person of Gaetz’s, pleaded blameworthy to six charges successful May, admitting that helium had knowingly solicited and paid a insignificant for sex.

As portion of his plea agreement, helium was required to springiness “substantial assistance” to investigators arsenic they physique retired related cases. His lawyer has said that Greenberg has held a bid of proffers, oregon meetings, with the Justice Department.

Handberg did not accidental what investigations Greenberg was providing caller accusation to authorities about, though CNN has reported that Greenberg has told the Justice Department astir encounters helium and Gaetz had with women who were fixed currency oregon gifts successful speech for sex.

Greenberg faced dozens of transgression charges earlier his blameworthy plea, and the ongoing investigations related to him person besides roped successful a ellipse of section politicians and businessmen who authorities are scrutinizing for imaginable fraud.

In tribunal Monday, Handberg called Greenberg a “prolific criminal.”

“Mr. Greenberg was not alone,” Handberg said.

Gaetz, who is besides nether probe for obstruction of justness related to the probe into him, has not been charged with a crime. He has repeatedly denied having enactment with an underage woman.

The proceeding was held pursuing a petition by Greenberg’s lawyer to hold Greenberg’s sentencing for a 2nd clip truthful that helium could proceed to supply information. The Justice Department had not opposed the request.

Handberg called the request for a 2nd hold “unusual” but added the section was successful an “unusual concern fixed the fig of antithetic investigations and lines of probe we are pursuing.”

He indicated this would beryllium the past hold the Justice Department needed, and a justice agreed to determination guardant with a hold of the sentencing proceeding until March.

Fritz Scheller, Greenberg’s lawyer, told the tribunal Monday that the sentencing hold was “critical” to his client, truthful that helium could supply prosecutors with each the applicable details helium had. The Justice Department could question a much lenient situation condemnation for Greenberg based connected the grade of his cooperation.

Over the summer, national investigators continued to analyse contracts that Greenberg handed retired to respective associates portion helium served arsenic the Seminole County Tax Collector, according to a idiosyncratic acquainted with the matter.

Aspects of the investigations into imaginable fiscal crimes related to Greenberg person been handled successful portion by the US Secret Service and connected Monday, an authoritative from the bureau sat successful the courtroom with prosecutors.