The criminal case against Joel Greenberg | 1

Joel Greenberg: The Man. The Scandal. The Players.

In 2016, few knew much about the 31-year-old man who’d just scored an upset victory to win public office in Seminole County. A constant stream of odd news and controversies began almost as soon as he started the job. Still, he became a rising star in local Republican politics – and accumulated powerful friends. And now Greenberg faces a staggering 33 federal charges. And the outcome of this case threatens to ensnare some of Greenberg’s closest allies, including Congressman Matt Gaetz.

In this episode of Joel Greenberg: The Man, The Scandal, The Players, we start by diving into the criminal case against Greenberg, the potential penalties he faced if he’d gone to trial and what exactly he’s accused of — as well as whether he could have faced justice any sooner.

• What launched the criminal investigation (2:32)
• From fake IDs to sex trafficking (7:05)
• CARES Act loans (8:58)
• Bitcoin operation: Innovative or criminal? (11:12)
• Greenberg’s early brushes with the law (15:36)
• From local to national story (19:55)