Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida was the target of a scam in which he was promised a presidential pardon in exchange for the payment of as much as $25 million to help free an American who had been taken prisoner in Iran, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Stephen Alford was charged by federal prosecutors in Florida with wire fraud, and accused of trying to carry out the scheme in March and April, according to a Justice Department press release released Tuesday.