Joel Greenberg has officially changed his plea to guilty in a federal case involving sex trafficking charges involving a minor. The former tax collector in Seminole County, Florida changed his plea days after it was revealed that he struck a deal with prosecutors. Greenberg pled guilty to just 6 of 33 charges that had been filed against him. The other charges will now be dropped as part of the deal. The AP reports:

Monday’s court appearance marked the first time Greenberg has been seen in court since the Gaetz investigation blew into the public spotlight in March. Outside the courthouse, a plane flew over during the hearing pulling a banner that read: “TICK TOCK MATT GAETZ.”

As part of his plea deal, Greenberg — who served as the tax collector in Seminole County — admitted he recruited women for commercial sex acts and paid them more than $70,000 from 2016 to 2018, sometimes through online payment services like Venmo. They include at least one underage girl he paid to have sex with him and others, the plea agreement says.

While the plea deal doesn’t name Congressman Matt Gaetz, there is speculation that Congressman could soon face charges. Politico writes:

The likely plea by Greenberg, whom Gaetz once called his “wingman,” is a new development that signals Gaetz may be facing increasing legal peril. Federal investigators have interviewed more than a dozen people in the case, according to four sources familiar with the inquiry. Two friends of Gaetz’s ex-girlfriend, who is not the 17-year-old, say she is in talks to be a witness for the prosecution but she wants an immunity deal for possible obstruction. 

At an event in Ohio over the weekend, Gaetz downplayed the accusations against him: “I’m being falsely accused of exchanging money for naughty favors. Yet, Congress has reinstituted a process that legalizes the corrupt act of exchanging money for favors, through earmarks.”