Florida man gets 5 years in plot to extort Matt Gaetz's father

A Florida businessman who pleaded guilty in a $25 million extortion plot targeting the father of Rep. Matt Gaetz in a convoluted scheme to secure a presidential pardon for his son was sentenced to five years Monday.

U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers sentenced Stephen Alford, 62, to 63 months plus three years supervised release after he pleaded guilty last year to one count of wire fraud, according to federal court documents.

Alford was alleged to have approached the Republican congressman and his father, Don Gaetz, a wealthy businessman who served as president of the Florida Senate, about getting the younger Gaetz a pardon. Federal authorities are investigating Matt Gaetz for allegedly having sex with an underage girl and paying her for it. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.

Alford later told investigators that he lied to the Gaetz’s about the pardon.

The defendant’s plot also involved a bizarre scheme to secure the release of former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who went missing in Iran 15 years ago.

Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.