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6. Ex-Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg jailed without bond by federal judge in March 2021 for violating conditions of his pre-trial release
Counting 'em Down: For better or for worse, this is the Headline Surfer countdown of 2021's Top 100 biggest news stories of Central Florida along the tourism-driven stretch of Interstate 4 (Orlando Attractions and east to I-95 & the World's Most Famous Beach in Daytona). Each recap segment is posted with its own headline, culminating with the unveiling of No. 1. Each segment includes a 2022 update.
Photos for Headline Surfer / Joel Greenberg is shown above in a jail mug from the John E. Polk Correctional Center in Sanford, Florida, where the former Seminole County Tax Collector was being held Wednesday, March 3, 2021, on a no-bond status after appearing in US District Court in Orlando. Image provided by the Seminole County Sheriff's Office, which operates the jail.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg was back in jail on March 3, 2021, and likely for the foreseeable future.
Greenberg, 35, was ordered held on a no bond status earlier today by a federal judge after his presentment in court at the U.S. District Courthouse in Orlando where he was found to be in violation of the terms of his pre-trial release.
That's because Greenberg was turned over to US Marshalls after police in Jupiter, FL discovered he was out in the community there during the overnight hours on Sunday in violation of a curfew as part of his earlier pre-trial release conditions.
Greenberg is facing a slew of federal charges ranging from stalking a political opponent to identity theft to soliciting minors for sex, all felony complaints that could put him behind bars for up to 40 years if convicted in court.
Here is a synopsis o what occurred leading to a new round of criminal charges against Greenberg:
According to an arrest report from the Jupiter Police Department, cops went to Greenberg’s mother-in-law’s home in Jupiter Plantation after his ankle monitor alerted authorities to his whereabouts.
Greenberg’s mother-in-law told Jupiter police she wanted Greenbergremoved from her home. She told police he showed up uninvited looking for his wife, Abby Greenberg, but she was not home when he arrived.
Greenberg acknowledged to the cops that he was under probation, “but his probation times vary as he requests and as long as his probation officer agrees.”
Officer said Greenberg then told them “his probation allows him to be almost in every part of the state of Florida, except the north end of Florida and Key West.”
Bud federal prosecutors said he violated his pre-trial release by traveling to Jupiter on that Sunday and being out past his curfew, which is from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Abby Greenberg later told police she came down to her mother’s home with their two young kids in Jupiter “to take a break from the stressful situation with Joel.” According to the report, she sent him text messages that stated he was not supposed to be outside the Central Florida region.
Abby Greenberg told police her estranged husband used her Snapchat location to find her and drove from their home to Jupiter.
Jupiter police were unable to get in touch with Greenberg’s probation officer and arrested him at his mother-in-law's residence on a charge of violation of probation.
During an appearance in Orlando before a federal judge, the court found Greenberg had indeed violated the terms of his bail and revoked his bond. He will remain in custody pending further proceedings. Greenberg wanted to address the court, but his attorney, Fritz Scheller told him to leave it alone because it wouldn't make a difference in front of the judge and would likely make matters worse for him, reiterated that point with reporters outside the federal courthouse following Greenberg's presentment.
During an appearance in Orlando before a federal judge, the court found Greenberg had indeed violated the terms of his bail and revoked his bond. He will remain in custody pending further proceedings. Greenberg wanted to address the court, but his attorney, Fritz Scheller told him to leave it alone because it wouldn't make a difference in front of the judge and would likely make matters worse for him, reiterated that point with reporters outside the federal courthouse following Greenberg's presentment.
Greenberg, 35, who was taken into custody following the hearing in court, served as Seminole County tax collector from January 2017 until June 24, 2020, when he stepped down from office following his indictment and arrest by federal marshals on a slew of felony charges.
Greenberg has been in custody since that day, pending sentencing in December 2022 in federal court in Orlando. He pleaded guilty before a federal judge in May 2021, to six felonies, including paying a 17-year-old escort for sex on multiple occasions. The guilty plea is coming up shortly in this Headline Surfer countdown of the Top 100 stories of 2021.
Multimedia:
YouTube embedding / Headline Surfer video / May 5, 2019 - Joel Greenberg was indicted in June 2020 and resigned from his elected office as Seminole County tax collector the next day. This video presentation had been a multimedia element in Greenberg's inclusion in this media outlet's Hall of Fame in 20`19, but the honor was withdrawn after the unsealing of the federal indictment handed up against him alleging corruption and malfeasance in his duties as the elected tax collector. A screenshot from this video was used to display the pic of Greenberg and his then-wife, Abby Greenberg at the top of this story.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high-profile cases such as the George Zimmerman murder trial, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. AWJ:
Counting 'em Down: For better or for worse, this is the Headline Surfer countdown of 2021's Top 100 biggest news stories of Central Florida along the tourism-driven stretch of Interstate 4 (Orlando Attractions and east to I-95 & the World's Most Famous Beach in Daytona). Each recap segment is posted with its own headline, culminating with the unveiling of No. 1. Each segment includes a 2022 update.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline SurferDuring an appearance in Orlando before a federal judge, the court found Greenberg had indeed violated the terms of his bail and revoked his bond. He will remain in custody pending further proceedings. Greenberg wanted to address the court, but his attorney, Fritz Scheller told him to leave it alone because it wouldn't make a difference in front of the judge and would likely make matters worse for him, reiterated that point with reporters outside the federal courthouse following Greenberg's presentment.
About the Byline Writer: Henry Frederick is a member of the working press and publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched in 2008, that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando from Lake Mary, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed close to 150 award-winning bylines in print & online. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in 2019. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade. And Before that worked the same beat for The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high-profile cases such as the George Zimmerman murder trial, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series "Snapped" for his analysis. AWJ: