Greenberg, former tax collector, enters not guilty plea to federal stalking charges

Joel Greenberg, who resigned this month as Seminole County’s Tax Collector, has entered a plea of not guilty to federal charges of stalking and identity theft against a political opponent, according to a court document filed Tuesday.

An arraignment hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday in the federal courthouse in downtown Orlando. Greenberg has waived his right to appear at the hearing. Orlando attorneys Mark Horwitz and Vincent Citro also filed documents to say that they have been hired by Greenberg to represent him in federal court.

Greenberg, 35, was arrested on June 23 at his Lake Mary home by U.S. Marshals and taken to court in handcuffs and shackles, where a grand jury indictment was unsealed.

Those charges by the U.S. Attorney’s Office included that Greenberg sent fake letters made to seem as if written by a student to a school falsely accusing a political opponent, a teacher, of sexual misconduct.

Greenberg, according to the charges, allegedly set up a fake Twitter account with the teacher’s name and photograph, claiming he advocated for white supremacy and segregation. Greenberg also allegedly created a fake Facebook account that claimed to belong to a “very concerned teacher” at the school that the teacher was engaging in sexual misconduct.

Greenberg, 35, resigned from his office on June 24. He also has dropped out of the Republican primary for the Tax Collector’s seat and will not seek reelection.

If convicted of the charges, Greenberg faces up to 10 years in prison, according to the indictment.