ORLANDO, Fla. – A former associate of ex-Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg who was set to learn Wednesday how much time he’s spending in federal prison will be back in court next week.
Michael Shirley, 40, faces up to 20 years in prison following his conviction last July on four counts of honest services fraud and one count of conspiracy.
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A jury found Shirley guilty of paying a $6,000 kickback to Greenberg in 2017 in exchange for a consulting contract that netted him $634,000 in taxpayer money over three years for what prosecutors said was little work. The government further accused Shirley of submitting inflated invoices to the tax collector’s office, including one with a markup of more than 90%.
Greenberg, who prosecutors said used Shirley’s bribe money to pay off an American Express credit card, is serving an 11-year sentence in federal prison for child sex trafficking and other offenses.
Shirley’s sentencing hearing on Wednesday at the federal courthouse in downtown Orlando reportedly took much longer than most do, prompting the judge and attorneys to turn their attention that afternoon toward prior appointments. Shirley will be back in court for his sentencing hearing on Tuesday.
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