A Texas politician and tax consultant, John Castro, was recently arrested on federal tax charges. Castro, who is a Republican, had previously fought to remove Trump from the Republican primary ballot in a variety of different states.
According to a report from The Hill, Castro was indicted on 33 counts of aiding the preparation of false tax returns. Prosecutors explained that Castro operated a virtual tax consulting business where he is accused of defrauding the federal government and providing customers with exorbitant tax returns beyond what they were actually owed. The prosecution asserts Castro carried this pattern out with dozens of clients.
“Castro would promise a significantly higher refund than taxpayers could receive from other preparers and on many occasions, offered to split the additional refund with taxpayers,” prosectors claimed in court documents. “In order to achieve these larger refunds, Castro generated false deductions, that were not based in fact, and which were submitted without the taxpayer’s knowledge.”
Reportedly, Castro’s operation was busted in a sting operation by an undercover police officer requesting his tax consultation. Castro allegedly promised the officer over $6,000 in tax returns when other tax services offered under $400. The prosecution alleges that Castro filed up to $30,000 in fraudulent claims for the undercover officer.
Despite the allegations against him, Castro maintains his innocence while vowing to fight the case in court. He seeks to convince the jury that the charges brought against him are politically driven. “I don’t care if they offered me one day probation and a slap on the wrist in exchange for a guilty plea,” he stated. “This is going to trial. I am going to convince all 12 jurors that I am 100 percent innocent and that this is political retaliation.”
However, government officials have sounded off on Castro’s alleged criminal activity. Biden-nominated U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton slammed Castro, emphasizing that he would be held legally accountable for his actions.
“Mr. Castro’s alleged crimes are stunning in their brazenness,” Simonton said in a statement. “The Department of Justice will continue to hold people accountable who steal from the federal government’s — and the American public’s — pockets.”
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Tammy Tomlins, an Internal Revenue Service special agent in charge of the Newark office, weighed in on the case against Castro, pointing out that her bureau seeks to specifically deter this exact behavior. “This is precisely the type of conduct IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners are committed to deterring,” Tomlins said. “Today’s indictment sends a clear message, you will be held accountable if you abuse our tax system for your personal financial gain.”
As a hopeful 2024 GOP presidential candidate, 40-year-old Castro reportedly filed up to 27 legal challenges against Trump in 27 different states, seeking to keep him off the ballot. Similar to Colorado’s controversial ballot ruling, Castro cited the “insurrection clause” of the 14th Amendment as justification for former President Donald Trump’s removal from the primary ballot. However, none of his efforts have gained traction in the various states in which he has filed lawsuits.