A man reportedly at the center of an alleged extortion plot involving Rep. Matt Gaetz and his family has been charged with engaging in a scheme to defraud a victim out of $25 million, in part by falsely promising he could secure a presidential pardon.<\/p>\n

A grand jury charged Florida resident Stephen Alford, 62, with wire fraud in connection with the pardon scheme, carried out\u00a0between March 16 and April 7, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Alford was also charged with attempting to stop the seizure of his iPhone by the government, said the grand jury indictment, which was signed by a U.S. magistrate judge on Aug. 18.<\/p>\n

Alford was arrested earlier Tuesday and made his initial appearance in federal court, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida said in a press release. He faces up to 25 years imprisonment on the charged crimes, according to the prosecutors' office.<\/p>\n

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  Gaetz, R-Fla., a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, is being investigated by the Department of Justice about whether the 39-year-old congressman had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl,\u00a0The New York Times reported in March.<\/p>\n

  Gaetz, at the time that report came out, had linked that DOJ probe with the alleged $25 million "organized criminal extortion" scheme against him and his father, Don Gaetz.<\/p>\n

  Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing. He has not been charged with a crime.<\/p>\n

  A Times report from April 1, which described Alford as a real estate agent with a prior fraud conviction, said that he and a former Air Force intelligence officer named Robert Kent approached Don Gaetz about providing funding for an attempt to rescue an American hostage in Iran.<\/p>\n

  They reportedly told Don Gaetz, 73, that securing that hostage, Robert Levinson, could help clinch a pardon for his son in case he was charged with federal crimes.<\/p>\n

  Don Gaetz then hired a lawyer and contacted the FBI, the Times reported. Kent denied the allegations.<\/p>\n

  The grand jury indictment did not refer to Matt Gaetz, Don Gaetz, Levinson or Kent by their full names.<\/p>\n

  Instead, it said that Alford gave "Person A" the phone number of "D.G." in order to "discuss the purported release of R.L. from captivity in Iran and a purported 'current federal investigation' into Family Member A of D.G."<\/p>\n

  In a text message, "it was conveyed to D.G. that Person A's 'partner will see to it that [Family Member A] receives a Presidential Pardon, thus alleviating all his legal issues," the indictment alleged.<\/p>\n

  Alford then wrote a letter, titled "Project Homecoming," which made claims about an "'investigation by the FBI for various public corruption and public integrity issues' related to Family Member A," as well as a "Presidential Pardon" and the request for $25 million to "'immediately fund the release' of R.L.," according to the indictment.<\/p>\n

  The letter allegedly instructed that the money was to be "deposited into a trust account of Law Firm A."<\/p>\n

  Alford's letter also falsely asserted that his "'team has been assured by the President' that he will 'strongly consider' a 'Presidential Pardon,'" or tell the Justice Department to quash any probe of "Family Member A" if R.L. is released from captivity, the indictment said.<\/p>\n

  Alford also falsely told D.G., "I will assure you that [Family Member A] will get off his problems" and claimed he could "guarantee" that that family member "would not go to prison."<\/p>\n

  Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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