Florida Man Accused by Rep. Gaetz of Extortion Plot Charged With Wire Fraud

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Feb. 6, 2020. Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times

One of the men who Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) accused of masterminding a plot to extort $25 million from Gaetz’s family in exchange for having a federal probe into sex trafficking allegations against the lawmaker go away was charged with wire fraud on Tuesday.

Stephen Alford, 62, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pensacola, Florida, on charges of wire fraud and attempting to stop authorities from viewing his iPhone.