Former Joel Greenberg associate gets prison term for COVID-19 loan fraud

ORLANDO, Fla. — A former associate of Joel Greenberg was sentenced on Wednesday to more than six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to helping the disgraced Seminole County tax collector and others fraudulently obtain hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal loans during the Covid pandemic.

Nabil Dajani — who also was ordered to pay $734,500 in restitution to the federal government — is now the fifth person to have either pleaded guilty or been convicted on federal charges in connection with Greenberg's crimes.

In handing down Dajani's 78-month prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell referred to Greenberg as "kind of like a criminal octopus" because so many people tied to the former tax collector have faced federal charges.

Greenberg — who resigned in June 2020 after serving just over three years in office — is currently serving an 11-year sentence after pleading guilty in 2021 to several federal crimes including sex trafficking of a teenager, stalking a political rival, stealing identities and using public money to pay for sex and cryptocurrency.

Besides the charges of conspiracy and submitting a false claim, Dajani also pleaded guilty in May to enticement of another for the purposes of prostitution, according to court records. Federal prosecutors said Dajani lured two adult women from North Carolina to Central Florida and paid them to have sex with him in a hotel room.

Presnell said Dajani "showed a lack of a moral compass" by paying bribes to an employee at the Small Business Administration office to help speed the approval process of fake loan applications filed for pandemic relief on behalf of Greenberg and others.

"This country was in a terrible situation from a health standpoint and from a financial standpoint [during the coronavirus pandemic]," said Presnell, noting that the federal government tried to help business owners and individuals who lost income during the pandemic.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Dajani took advantage of that," he said.

In June and July 2020, Greenberg sought and received pandemic-assistance loans with Dajani's help for his former businesses Greenberg Media and DG3 Network, which he formed before he was elected tax collector in November 2016 and revived after he left office.

Working with a conspirator at the SBA, Dajani obtained for Greenberg three loans totaling more than $430,000, according to authorities. In return, Greenberg gave $16,000 to Dajani's other business, Community Cultural Consulting Co., which had a contract with the Seminole Tax Collector's Office, according to authorities. Federal prosecutors said the company's only client was the Tax Collector's Office.

In all, Dajani obtained $315,800 from his scheme, authorities said. Part of that amount was obtaining money for his failing business, The Perfect Golf Grip, according to court records.

Brevard County resident Teresa McIntyre, who allegedly was involved in the scheme, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government last year, according to court documents. She was sentenced in February to five years of probation and ordered to pay $587,500 in restitution.

"This was a bribed scheme," said Amanda Daniels, an Assistant U.S. Attorney. "His goal was to have her prioritize the movement of his loan applications. … He abused the system designed to help people in need."

Dajani started crying uncontrollably when asked to make a statement by Presnell.

"I don't want to make excuses," he said before sitting back down and wiping tears off his face.

John Saboor, an executive vice president for the wrestling promotion WWE and a member of the board for the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, testified on Dajani's behalf.

Saboor said he had known Dajani for 20 years and " was significantly disappointed" when he found out about the federal charges.

"He betrayed himself, and he betrayed his country," Saboor said. "But this is a man haunted by his actions."

NeJame later described Dajani as living "an extremely stellar existence" before committing the crimes. He noted that the Orlando man was athletic and "loved spending time in the gym."

But a few years ago, he broke several bones in an accident and became addicted to painkillers, causing him to feel isolated and depressed.

"That period of time was his nightmare, and he'll have to pay for it," NeJame said.

Dajani is the latest of Greenberg's former associates who have been charged, pleaded guilty or are serving time in federal prison.

In July, Michael Shirley, a longtime Greenberg consultant, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and four counts of honest services in connection to what federal prosecutors said was a bribery-and-kickback scheme with the former tax collector. His sentencing is set for Oct. 31, and he faces up to 20 years in prison.

Federal prosecutors said that Shirley's company Praetorian Integrated Services was hired by the Tax Collector's Office for consulting services and that over a two-year period he received as much as $466,625 from the public office as part of his scheme.

Last October, Joe Ellicott — a former sports radio host — was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to taking part in the scheme with Shirley by acting as a middle man.

Keith Ingersoll, who was hired as Greenberg's real estate consultant, was sentenced last year to just over nine years in federal prison after pleading guilty to bilking an elderly investor out of millions of dollars and nearly his entire life savings.

Ingersoll was indicted along with his business partner, James Adamczyk, who died last October of cancer.

In the coming weeks, Dajani will have to turn himself in to the Federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence.

"In a sense, Mr. Dajani is a victim of Joel Greenberg," Presnell said in court. "It appears, Mr. Dajani was a good person who came from a difficult background. But then he took advantage of his country."