Florida man gets five years for Don Gaetz extortion plot

A Florida man who pleaded guilty last year to trying to extort money from Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz’s father was sentenced Monday to just over five years in prison. 

Stephen Alford admitted to scheming to get millions out of former Florida state Senate President Don Gaetz via a series of letters.

Alford tried to convince the elder Gaetz that he had a connection with President Biden and would use it to help Matt Gaetz resolve an ongoing sex-trafficking probe involving the lawmaker.

In exchange, Alford asked for $25 million he claimed he needed to free American Robert Levinson, a former FBI agent who disappeared in 2007 while on an unauthorized CIA mission in Iran. Levinson’s family announced in March 2020 that they believed he had died while in Iranian government custody.

The plot was discovered when Don Gaetz reported messages from Alford to federal investigators.

Alford was recorded admitting to trying to extort Gaetz and acknowledged having no such connection to Biden. 

Matt Gaetz has yet to be charged with any crime in connection with the sex-trafficking investigation, which stems from a probe of Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg, a former associate.

Greenberg pleaded guilty in May 2021 to several offenses, including paying for sex with a 17-year-old girl to whom Gaetz was linked.

Gaetz has consistently denied any wrongdoing. 

A spokesperson for the congressman did not respond to The Post’s request for comment on Alford’s sentencing.