Who is John Anthony Castro? All about Trump critic charged in tax return scam 

John Anthony Castro, a Republican politician, has been accused of running a 'tax scam.' In 2023, Castro made headlines when he filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump to prevent him from appearing in the 2024 US presidential election. According to court records, an indictment was filed against him on January 3, 2024.

Castro had received his JD degree from the University of New Mexico and his Master of Laws from Georgetown University. He reportedly entered the political arena back in 2004, when he contested for the Democratic Party and also received the least number of votes. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram described him as a 'phantom candidate' when he stood for elections in 2021.

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Trump challenger, John Anthony Castro, who is accused of preparing fake tax returns, has been indicted on 33 counts

Last week, John Anthony Castro was arrested and accused of filing 17 sets of false tax documents with the IRS.

According to the press release by the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas, Castro has been charged with 33 counts of filing fraudulent tax returns. The release further mentioned that he made his first court appearance on January 9, Tuesday.

According to US Attorney Simonton:

"Mr. Castro’s alleged crimes are stunning in their brazenness. The Department of Justice will continue to hold people accountable who steal from the federal government’s—and the American public’s—pockets."

While 40-year-old Castro claims that he is a lawyer, an article published by The Philadelphia Inquirer stated that he was not licensed to practice law in any state.

After finishing his masters in 2013, he got a job at Gudorf Law Group in Dayton. As mentioned before, he filed lawsuits against Trump in 2023. However, several of the suits filed by him remain pending in different courts.

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Despite the charges, Castro has denied all allegations against him

The press release issued a statement given by Tammy Tomlins, Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office. According to Tomlins:

"This is precisely the type of conduct IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners are committed to deterring. Today’s indictment sends a clear message, you will be held accountable, if you abuse our tax system for your personal financial gain."

John Anthony Castro has, however, stated that the allegations against him are untrue and that they are "politically motivated".

According to Castro, the matter was settled with the IRS back in 2021, and his firm, Castro & Co., had to pay about $700,000 as well. The same has been reported by The Hill.

He further added:

"I don’t care if they offered me one day probation and a slap on the wrist in exchange for a guilty plea. 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."

According to Castro, the allegations arose because of the suits he filed against Trump last year. John Anthony Castro's next court appearance has been scheduled for January 17, 2024.