Testimony of sex trafficking victim continues to influence powerful men in Florida

MIAMI – Federal prison records show that Joel Greenberg, the former Seminole County tax collector, was incarcerated Sunday at the Federal Correctional Institution in downtown Miami and is not expected to be released until July 16, 2030.

According to new federal court documents recently cited by NOTUS, a 17-year-old girl was at a party in Heathrow, Florida, on July 15, 2017, allegedly hosted by former Florida Rep. Chris Dortworth, a lobbyist, and also attended by Greenberg and U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz.

The Orlando Sentinel reported Friday that Dorworth claimed he was not at the party where witnesses, including the now 25-year-old teenager, reported cocaine, molly and sex workers. Prosecutors decided not to file charges against Gaetz.

A federal judge sentenced Greenberg to 11 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to identity theft, stalking, wire fraud, conspiracy to bribe a public official and child sex trafficking.

In June, the House Ethics Committee announced an investigation into allegations that Gaetz may have engaged in sexual assault and illegal drug use, accepted inappropriate gifts, granted special privileges and favors to people with whom he had a personal relationship, and attempted to obstruct government investigations into his conduct.

The committee also announced that it would no longer investigate allegations that Gaetz “shared inappropriate images or videos in the House of Representatives, misused government identification documents, used campaign funds for personal purposes, and/or accepted bribes or improper gratuities.”