Former Florida Tax Collector Allegedly Used Public Funds to Create Blockchain Company

A former tax collector in Florida was recently found to have been using public funds in order to set up a blockchain firm.

New report reveals the fraud

According to a report from the Orlando Sentinel, Joel Greenberg billed the Tax Collector’s Office $65,860. He did this while serving as the tax collector for Seminole County. He used the money for his buying computer servers for a company he was establishing- Government Blockchain Systems LLC. He reportedly returned the money later using a series of checks.

He allegedly billed the Office for paying for 20 computer servers in September 2019. On the next day, the Tax Collector’s office signed a check to Government Blockchain Systems. The company gave a receipt to the office, suggesting a purchase of 15 computer servers. The Orlando Sentinel said that it is not clear why only 15 servers were bought when the money was disbursed for 20 pieces.

Links to Florida Blockchain Business Association

The company, Government Blockchain Systems, was registered in July 2019. It lists Samuel Armes alongside Greenberg in the documents. Armes is the President of the Florida Blockchain Business Association. He was hired by the tax office a legislative affairs director and a blockchain advocate. However, he left his post in December. The documents reveal the primary address of the company as one of the Tax Collector’s officers. The firm was eventually dissolved in May.

In an interview with the newspaper, Greenberg said that the company aimed to

“create a system that would migrate residents’ information from drivers’ licenses to a secure blockchain.”

He has been indicted in Florida for stalking a political opponent. He was accused of spreading false information about a political opponent who was working in a school in Seminole County. The indictment suggests that he put on fake social media accounts claiming to be from “very concerned teachers” at the school of the victim.