ORLANDO, Fla. — A former local official in Florida who faces an array of federal charges, including a sex trafficking count, is expected to plead guilty in the coming weeks, a prosecutor and a defense lawyer said on Thursday in an indication that the defendant could cooperate as a key witness against Representative Matt Gaetz, who is under investigation.
A plea by the former elected official, Joel Greenberg, could significantly strengthen the Justice Department’s hand as it investigates Mr. Gaetz and others who met Mr. Greenberg through Florida Republican politics and are being scrutinized on potential sex trafficking violations.
Mr. Greenberg met women through a website that connects people who are willing to go on dates in exchange for gifts and allowances, then introduced them to Mr. Gaetz, who along with Mr. Greenberg had sex with them, people familiar with the matter have said.
The prosecutor, Roger Handberg, made the disclosure about Mr. Greenberg’s case at a six-minute status hearing at the federal courthouse in Orlando, as did Mr. Greenberg’s lawyer, Fritz Scheller. Mr. Greenberg had been scheduled to go on trial in June, but both sides set a May 15 deadline for a plea deal. If they do not reach an agreement, the case would go to trial, they agreed.
“We believe this case is going to be a plea,” Mr. Handberg said.
Added Mr. Scheller: “I expect this case to be resolved with a plea deal.”
Neither said whether Mr. Greenberg would agree to cooperate with the government’s open investigation. Mr. Greenberg, 36, is likely to face 12 years in prison and legal experts said that if Mr. Greenberg had any hope of reducing that sentence, he would have to cooperate with the Justice Department.
Cooperation in federal inquiries typically entails being fully candid in interviews with investigators and testifying at trials and before grand juries in related investigations. Those who cooperate early usually receive the best deals from prosecutors; no others are known to have been indicted in this case.
Mr. Greenberg did not appear in court on Thursday. He was sent to jail in March for violating the terms of his bail.
Mr. Greenberg, who has known Mr. Gaetz since at least 2017 when he began serving in Congress, could provide prosecutors with a witness who has a deep knowledge of Mr. Gaetz’s dealings with women, can explain how the men paid the women and how the two men bought and used drugs, like ecstasy.
Mr. Gaetz, who gained a national profile in recent years as a prominent supporter of President Donald J. Trump, has denied that he paid for sex. The investigation into him grew out of Mr. Greenberg’s case.
