Screenshot: John Anthony Castro/X
John Anthony Castro, a Texas man known for his legal efforts to challenge former President Donald Trump’s eligibility for the 2024 presidential ballot, has been arrested on charges related to filing false tax documents.
Castro, who filed challenges in 27 states against Trump’s ballot placement, was indicted last week on 33 counts of aiding the preparation of false tax returns.
Castro operated a virtual tax preparation business that deceitfully inflated tax refunds for clients, The Hill reported.
Castro was the proprietor of Castro & Company LLC, a digital tax preparation firm with establishments in Orlando, Mansfield, and Washington, D.C., per WFAA.
According to court documents, Castro promised significantly higher refunds than other tax preparers and often proposed to split the extra refund with taxpayers. To achieve these larger refunds, he reportedly created false deductions and submitted them without the taxpayers’ knowledge.
Evidence of Castro’s fraudulent activities surfaced when an undercover officer, who had previously been quoted a $373 refund by a reputable tax preparer, was promised a $6,007 refund by Castro. The tax forms filed by Castro contained nearly $30,000 in fraudulently claimed deductions.
Outside his tax business, Castro, a GOP presidential candidate himself albeit a long-shot. He was born on the U.S. military base in Landstuhl, Germany and lives in Texas.
According to Ballotpedia, he earned a J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law, and an LL.M. from the Georgetown University Law Center. Castro’s career experience includes working as an attorney and entrepreneur.
According to the New York Times, Castro has never been licensed to practice law in any state.
John Anthony Castro hates Trump supporters. He hates Trump and his supporters with a red-hot passion.
He has been persistent in challenging Trump’s candidacy, citing the 14th Amendment over Trump’s alleged involvement in the January 6 Capitol riots. His legal maneuvers have seen mixed success, with challenges being dismissed in states like West Virginia and Nevada, while still pending in others. Some states, like Maine, are considering the issue.
The other states where Castro has filed these lawsuits include:
California
Michigan
Nevada
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Oregon
Oklahoma
Alaska
South Carolina
Texas
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Vermon
Virginia
However, similar challenges in Colorado and Maine have resulted in Trump being removed from those states’ ballots, decisions that are now awaiting review by the Supreme Court.
Castro has responded to the indictment by denying any wrongdoing and asserting that the case is a politically motivated attack against him. He claims that his firm had already resolved a tax dispute with the IRS in 2021 to the tune of $700,000.
“I don’t care if they offered me one day probation and a slap on the wrist in exchange for a guilty plea,” Castro told The Hill. “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.”
The controversy has put a damper on Castro’s ability to travel for upcoming court appearances related to his 14th Amendment challenges in other states, as his release conditions confine him to the Northern District of Texas unless otherwise permitted.
If convicted, Castro could face up to three years in prison for each of the 33 felony counts.
Although Castro’s presidential campaign has struggled to gain traction, raising only $678 by September, his litigation efforts against Trump have kept him in the public eye, and he is so proud of it.
“Meet the Man Challenging Trump”
100 days ago, no one knew who I was. With less than $50,000, I got worldwide media coverage, made Section 3 of the 14th Amendment mainstream, and now have name recognition in every corner of the country. That’s strategy.https://t.co/vQ7jav3gqu
— John Anthony Castro (@realJohnACastro) January 6, 2024
“Donald Trump’s Biggest Ballot Case Hasn’t Happened Yet.”
Excellent @Newsweek article explaining how my pending appeal before the 9th Circuit would guarantee Trump’s loss in the general election.
Thank you @AndrewStanton!https://t.co/j57Ldr4Sgg
— John Anthony Castro (@realJohnACastro) January 3, 2024
Full feature in the New York Times! ️
Success is not a destination; it’s a state of mind. It’s the courage to persevere despite repeated setbacks. It’s the refusal to surrender against all odds. Fortune favors the bold.
Thank you @NYTimes! https://t.co/PiGwu9Hnbv
— John Anthony Castro (@realJohnACastro) January 5, 2024
John Castro is an extreme example of a secret sleeper Republican. There are many just like him who run as Republicans and vote like Democrats. He’s just more open than others about his true feelings.
I think @ShennaBellows would be an excellent person to replace Senator Susan Collins in 2026.
Senator Shenna Bellows 2026! pic.twitter.com/SW5U5yqqxZ
— John Anthony Castro (@realJohnACastro) December 30, 2023
BREAKING: The man who has been filing lawsuits in every state to get Donald Trump removed from the 2024 election ballot has been arrested & charged with filing 17 sets of false tax documents to the IRS
In total, John Anthony Castro has been charged with 33 counts of aiding the… pic.twitter.com/b9GX6rIDPb
— George (@BehizyTweets) January 10, 2024
The post BREAKING: Man Seeking to Disqualify Trump from 2024 Ballot in At Least 27 States Arrested for Filing 17 False Tax Documents to IRS appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.