A Texas man who launched an aggressive campaign to remove former President Donald Trump from the ballot in 2024 has been arrested on tax fraud charges.
John Anthony Castro, a Republican presidential candidate, called on the Supreme Court to disqualify Trump using the 14th Amendment.
However, after the Supreme Court refused to hear the case, Castro began pedaling his campaign across America, submitting two dozen challenges against Trump’s eligibility to run for office.
Castro argued that Trump is unqualified to take office due to a constitutional clause prohibiting anyone “engaged in insurrection.”
Castro’s arguments mirrored that of public officials in Colorado and Maine, who also put the case forward that Trump cannot run for public office.
Castro’s lawsuits were dismissed in Florida, New Hampshire, and Nevada.
As The Hill reported, Castro was arrested and charged on federal charges linked to an online tax company where he lied to the IRS to assist clients in raising their returns.
Castro is accused of submitting 17 sets of fraudulent tax filings, a total of 33 charges of assisting in the preparation of false tax returns between 2018 and 2020
Castro allegedly exploited his firm to cheat the government in court filings.
“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,” the court documents said.
“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.”
Castro was apprehended by an undercover cop acting as a client.
“While a reputable tax preparer promised the undercover agent a $373 tax return, Castro instead claimed he could get $6,007, and offered to split the difference in extra cash,” The Hill reported.
Castro claimed $30,000 in bogus deductions to get a higher return.
However, Castro claimed he was being targeted due to his attempts to remove Trump off the ballot, saying there is “no question” that the lawsuit against him is politically motivated.
He also stated he paid the IRS $700,000 to settle the dispute.
“I don’t care if they offered me one day probation and a slap on the wrist in exchange for a guilty plea,” he said.
“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.”
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