ORLANDO, Fla. – Jury selection was scheduled to begin Monday in the federal trial of Michael Shirley, an associate of disgraced Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg who is accused of bribing the former public official in 2017.
According to the indictment, Shirley paid at least $6,000 in kickbacks to Greenberg in exchange for Shirley’s consulting company being allowed to submit “inflated” invoices to the tax collector’s office.
Recommended Videos
Shirley has pleaded not guilty to charges of honest services fraud and conspiracy.
Greenberg, who is serving an 11-year prison sentence for child sex trafficking and other crimes, is listed as a witness who could testify at Shirley’s trial for both the prosecution and the defense.
Records show Greenberg hired Shirley’s consulting company, Praetorian Integrated Services, on the same day Greenberg took office on Jan. 3, 2017.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Besides billing Greenberg for consulting fees, an audit conducted years later found that Shirley’s company charged the tax collector’s office for supplies like uniform shirts and envelopes that were “higher than every other vendor.”
One of the invoices was marked up by more than 90%, according to court documents in a separate but related criminal case.
Joseph Ellicott, a former deputy tax collector, was sentenced to 15 months in prison last year after pleading guilty to charges stemming from the same alleged kickback scheme.
As part of a plea agreement, Ellicott admitted to delivering a $6,000 bribe from Shirley to Greenberg.
Ellicott, who is also listed as a witness in Shirley’s trial, devised a false cover story indicating Shirley’s $6,000 payment was for the purchase of a portion of Ellicott’s collectible coin business, the plea agreement states.
After federal authorities served a subpoena on Greenberg’s office in April 2019, Shirley devised another cover story claiming his $6,000 payment to Ellicott was for the purchase of office furniture that once belonged to Greenberg, according to Ellicott’s plea agreement.
Shirley then gave Greenberg a “fake receipt” that claimed to reflect the sale of the office furniture, court records allege.
Prosecutors have suggested Shirley may have also given additional money to Greenberg as bribes, including checks in the amounts of $62, $82 and $184 that were payable to “Joel Greenberg Seminole County Tax Collector”.
Shirley’s attorney has argued those payments were for vehicle registration fees.
Greenberg pleaded guilty in 2021 to child sex trafficking, aggravated identity theft, stalking, wire fraud, production of a false ID and conspiracy as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
Besides admitting to having sex with a 17-year-old girl he met through a “sugar daddy” website, Greenberg confessed to sending letters and creating social media posts that falsely accused a political rival of being a pedophile.
As part of that plea agreement, Greenberg was required to cooperate with federal authorities on other criminal investigations and prosecutions.
If Greenberg is called to the witness stand in Shirley’s case, it will mark the first time he has testified in court against another criminal defendant.
Shirley’s attorney recently informed the judge the defense will likely need significant time during the trial to cross-examine Greenberg.
Shirley’s trial is expected to last about five days.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: