Jorge de Castro Font

De Castro Font was sentenced on May 17, 2011, to 5 years in prison and 3 years probation. He awaits trial in local courts for related local corruption and tax evasion charges.

In 2011, as a result of De Castro's legal troubles and current incarceration, it was speculated that his ex-wife, Lisandra, could either be charged with him locally for tax evasion, or serve as a witness against her ex-husband.

In 2008, De Castro Font was arrested by the FBI and subsequently charged with 21 counts of fraud and conspiracy. As a result, he was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison and 3 years probation.

De Castro Font was again nominated on March 9, 2008 in the PNP primary by voters. On July 8, 2008, it was reported that De Castro Font was under investigation for fraud and corruption by the FBI, which was based on testimony by witnesses interviewed regarding a second case. The pro-statehood senator responded saying that he "has never received money in exchange for a favor".

On August 23, 2008, the Federal Bureau of Investigation raided the Senator's Capitol office, a San Juan, Puerto Rico gas station at which he was a client and his Hato Rey apartment after obtaining a search warrant from U.S. District Court Judge Francisco Besosa. On August 25, Federal agents visited the homes of some of his employees. On that date, he ceased to be the Senate Majority Leader.

On September 9, 2008, De Castro Font voluntarily arrived at the Federico Degetau Federal Building in San Juan to "turn himself in" after allegedly receiving a phone call that morning from a close friend of Fortuño's, advising him that he was to be arrested that day. The Senator opted to show up at court, rather than be publicly arrested. It is believed that after this event, the Senator and the FBI reached an agreement to allow the Senator to turn himself in voluntarily if there was ever a warrant for his arrest.

On September 10, 2008, San Juan District Court rejected the pleas of the PNP to expel Jorge De Castro Font from the ballot for the upcoming elections. The judge determined that once a candidate has been elected in a primary by the people and has been officially certified by the Comisión Estatal de Eleciones, "he or she cannot be removed for reasons other than those specified by law". Puerto Rico electoral law states that a candidate may only be disqualified if he or she violates state or federal law, violations of internal Party policies are not sufficient cause.

On October 2, 2008, De Castro Font was arrested by the FBI at his lawyer's office in San Juan, Puerto Rico. De Castro Font was arrested and indicted on 32 federal charges including fraud, extortion, bribery and money laundering. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. His political consultant and aide, Alberto Goachet, 67, was also indicted for honest services fraud and extortion. The case is prosecuted by the Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section headed by Chief William M. Welch II, and investigated by the FBI's San Juan Field Office. On that date, Senate President Kenneth McClintock immediately removed him as chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, appointing Senate Majority Leader Margarita Nolasco to fill the vacancy. De Castro subsequently lashed out against McClintock for being a "traitor" to him.

Surprisingly, De Castro Font won a slot in the PNP ballot at the PNP primaries, and on the 2008 general elections held on November 4, he was reelected as Senator despite his legal troubles.

On December 4, 2008, de Castro was arrested and jailed indefinitely for violating his bail conditions when, according to Federal District Court Judge Francisco Besosa he has at least three improper contacts with government witnesses. During several instances while awaiting trial, he was housed in the Federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Carcel Federal de Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. On December 21, 2008, in a letter to PNP President and Governor-elect Luis Fortuño, he announced that he was resigning the seat to which he was elected in the upcoming Senate scheduled to take office on January 2, 2009.

In early 2005, after his narrow defeat in the 2004 gubernatorial race, former governor Pedro Rosselló announced he was aspiring for a Senate seat vacated by a freshman Senator for the district of Arecibo. After joining the Senate, he expressed his hopes of becoming president of the Senate, and asked his fellow party Senators to support him over President Kenneth McClintock. However, six Senators, including De Castro Font, refused to do so and continued supporting McClintock.

De Castro Font went on to win the party primaries and eventually the Senate seat in the 2004 general elections. The elections resulted in a "mixed" government with PPD's Aníbal Acevedo Vilá as governor, and the PNP dominating both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The PNP majority caucus elected De Castro Font on November 4, 2004 as the Majority Leader of the newly elected Senate, while his friend Kenneth McClintock was elected President of the Senate.

On September 27, 2002, De Castro Font announced he was joining the ranks of the New Progressive Party (PNP) and announced his candidacy for a Senate position.

In August 2001, following internal disputes within the PPD, De Castro Font left the party to become an independent representative. There are several versions of the nature and manner of him leaving the party. While De Castro states that he willfully left the party, others suggest he was forced out.

De Castro Font decided to run for an elective post in 1988. He was elected to the Puerto Rico House of Representatives in the 1988 general elections. He was 25 at the time, making him the youngest elected representative to that date. He was reelected to the post in the 1992, 1996, and 2000 general elections.

De Castro Font started distinguishing himself as a youth leader for the Popular Democratic Party. In 1985, he was the assistant of then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, José Ronaldo Jarabo.

Jorge Adolfo de Castro-Font (born on September 10, 1963) is a former Puerto Rican Senator and former member of the House of Representatives. Originally, he was a member of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) but became an independent representative in 2001 after inner disputes with his party. In 2002, he became a member of the New Progressive Party (PNP) and was elected Senator in 2004 and 2008, despite inner struggles within the party and legal issues.

Jorge de Castro Font was born in San Juan, on September 10, 1963 to former Puerto Rico Ombudsman Rafael Adolfo de Castro Campos and María Eugenia Font González. He is the grandson of Jorge Font Saldaña, one of former Gov. Luis Muñoz Marín's closest associates.