Former Corpus Christi elected official John Longoria convicted in federal tax case
John Longoria, a former member of the Corpus Christi ISD school board and Corpus Christi City Council, pleaded guilty and was convicted Friday of filing a false tax return.
Longoria's home was searched by the FBI in 2020, but he did not step down from the CCISD Board of Trustees at that time and continued to attend meetings for another two years.
Longoria, who represented District 1 of CCISD from 2006 until 2022, continued to serve on the school board until he decided not to run for reelection last November. District 1 covers the northern part of the school district, from Horne Road and Carroll Lane to Nueces Bay. Longoria was replaced by current trustee Eric Villarreal, who was elected to fill the position.
When reached Friday, Corpus Christi ISD spokesperson Leanne Libby said in a text that the district does not comment on legal matters.
Longoria also served on the Corpus Christi City Council from 1995 to 2003.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation began investigating Longoria in December 2018 after a two-year "extensive and suspicious" remodel of Longoria's home, according to a Friday news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
As a result of the investigation, law enforcement determined Longoria had underreported his income to the IRS for tax years 2014 through 2016, according to the news release.
According to federal court records, the case was filed Monday. A guilty plea agreement was filed the same day and accepted Friday.
As part of his plea, Longoria admitted that he had failed to truthfully disclose to the IRS all income he received in the form of goods, property or services during that time.
Longoria will pay $187,315 to the U.S. Department of Treasury in restitution.
Longoria will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge David S. Morales on Jan. 24, 2024. He faces up to three years in federal prison and a possible $100,000 maximum fine.
Longoria has been permitted to remain on bond, set at $30,000, pending the sentencing hearing.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Former Corpus Christi school board member pleaded guilty in tax case
