的密友和前政府雇员格林伯格乔·埃利科特(Joe Ellicott)将承认共谋实施电汇欺诈和分发受管制物质，这是一项调查的最新进展，其中包括对佛罗里达州国会议员马特·盖兹(Matt Gaetz)可能对一名未成年人进行性交易的指控进行调查，他对此予以强烈否认。
尽管格林伯格没有被点名，但根据隔夜启封的法庭文件，埃利科特将承认与一名“政府官员”合作，该官员于2017年就职，通过为与2017年就职的“政府官员”签署的政府合同相关的贿赂提供便利，实施电汇欺诈。
据一位知情人士透露，在本周被指控之前，埃利科特已经与检察官合作了几个月。
格林伯格曾是盖兹的亲密盟友，去年承认犯有多项联邦罪行，包括对未成年人的性交易，他于2017年就任塞米诺尔县税收官。
去年5月，政治报道称，调查人员正在从格林伯格的亲密伙伴那里寻找信息，其中包括盖兹和他的老朋友乔·埃利科特。据称，一名合伙人收到的传票称，大陪审团正在调查“涉及成年和未成年女性的商业性行为以及妨碍司法公正”的指控罪行。据政治称，该公司还要求提供该人从2016年至今与埃利科特、盖兹和格林伯格之间的任何通信、文件、录音和付款。
在回应埃利科特认罪的声明中，盖兹的幕僚长吉利安·莱恩·怀恩特告诉美国广播公司新闻:“在近一年的虚假谣言之后，没有丝毫证据表明国会议员盖兹有不当行为。我们仍然专注于代表佛罗里达人的工作。”
埃利科特也将承认销售受管制物质。根据法庭文件，埃利科特将Adderall出售给其他人至少两年，包括一名不愿透露姓名的人，该人总共向他支付了5000美元。
据检察官称，在通过文莫支付的一笔款项中，购买者向埃利科特支付了药物费用，但在备忘录中写道“2小时全身按摩”，以掩盖交易的性质。
埃利科特也是税务局的助理副税务员，他在格林伯格有很长的历史;在这位前税务员的婚礼上，他是伴郎，在格林伯格竞选公职之前，两人共同主持了当地一档体育主题的广播节目。据一位知情人士透露，在本周被指控之前，埃利科特已经与检察官合作了几个月。
埃利科特的律师拒绝置评。
消息人士称，埃利科特可能会成为正在进行的性交易调查中的关键证人，并且似乎掌握了可能会对格林伯格以外的其他人造成伤害的信息。
正如美国广播公司新闻此前报道的那样，在通过加密消息应用Signal进行的一次私人短信交流中，据称埃利科特在2020年8月告诉格林伯格，一位共同的朋友担心她可能与涉及一名未成年人的性交易调查有牵连。
Possible witness in sex trafficking probe involving Matt Gaetz takes plea
A close friend and former government employee ofJoel Greenberg, Joe Ellicott, is set to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and distribution of a controlled substance in the latest development in an investigation that includes a probe into allegations of possible sex trafficking of a minor by Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz, which he vehemently denies.
While Greenberg is not named, according to court documents unsealed overnight, Ellicott is set to plead guilty to working with a "government official" who assumed office in 2017 to commit wire fraud by facilitating bribery connected to government contracts that were signed by the "public official" who took office in 2017.
Ellicott had been cooperating with the prosecutors for months prior to being charged this week, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Greenberg, a one-time close ally of Gaetz who pleaded guilty last year to multiple federal crimes including sex trafficking of a minor, took office as Seminole County Tax Collector in 2017.
Last May, Politico reported that investigators were seeking information from close associates of Greenberg, including Gaetz and long-time friend Joe Ellicott. A subpoena received by one associate allegedly stated that the grand jury is investigating alleged crimes "involving commercial sex acts with adult and minor women as well as obstruction of justice." It also requested any communications, documents, recordings and payments the individual had with Ellicott, Gaetz and Greenberg from 2016 until now, according to Politico.
In a statement responding to Ellicott pleading guilty, Gaetz's chief of staff Jillian Lane Wyant told ABC News: "After nearly a year of false rumors, not a shred of evidence has implicated Congressman Gaetz in wrongdoing. We remain focused on our work representing Floridians."
Ellicott is also set to plead guilty to the distribution of a controlled substance. According to court documents, Ellicott sold Adderall to others for at least two years including to one unnamed person who paid him a total of $5,000.
In one payment made over Venmo, the purchaser paid Ellicott for the drugs but wrote in the memo line "2 hour full body massage" to conceal the nature of the transaction, according to prosecutors.
Ellicott, who was also on the tax office payroll as an assistant deputy tax collector, has a long history with Greenberg; he was a groomsman at the former tax collector's wedding and the pair co-hosted a local sports-themed radio show before Greenberg ran for office. Ellicott had been cooperating with the prosecutors for months prior to being charged this week, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Ellicott's lawyer declined to comment.
Ellicott could emerge as a key witness in the ongoing sex traffic investigation, and appears to have information that may be damning to others beyond Greenberg, sources say.
As ABC News previously reported, in a private text exchange over the encrypted messaging app Signal, Ellicott allegedly told Greenberg in August 2020 that a mutual friend was worried she could be implicated in the investigation into the sex ring involving a minor.
