ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A Florida tax collector who was charged last month with creating fake social media accounts that falsely suggested a political opponent favored white supremacy is now facing additional charges that he used driver’s licenses turned into his office to create fake ID cards for himself.
Federal prosecutors this week filed new charges of identity theft and producing false documents against Joel Greenberg, who resigned after his arrest last month. He was elected to office in the Orlando suburb in 2016.
Customers visiting tax collector branches that issued driver’s licenses and Florida ID cards sometimes turned in their old IDs to Greenberg’s staff to be destroyed. The new indictment says Greenberg produced at least two fake photo IDs for himself that featured his photo but the personal information of other people, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Greenberg’s defense attorney didn’t respond to messages from the newspaper.
No other employees of the tax collector’s office are involved in the alleged crimes, according to Brian Bieber, an attorney for the office.
Greenberg was arrested and charged last month with stalking and unlawful use of the identity of another person.
Federal prosecutors said Greenberg, 35, mailed fake letters to his opponent’s school signed by a nonexistent “very concerned student” who alleged the opponent had engaged in sexual misconduct with another student. Greenberg also used the name and photo of his opponent, who is a teacher, to create a fake Twitter account on which he posted statements in favor of white supremacy, according to the indictment.
Greenberg’s defense attorney, Vincent Citro, has denied the allegations.
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