A former Dallas police officer and leader of the city’s largest police union pleaded guilty Friday to making a false statement to an officer, nearly a year after his involvement in a fatal crash drew scrutiny from prosecutors and the department’s internal affairs investigators.
In November, department leaders placed Jaime Castro, a 27-year officer and then the president of the Dallas Police Association, on leave — eight months after the multivehicle crash in northwest Dallas that killed a pedestrian.
At the time, Castro had been referred to a Dallas County grand jury for a Class A misdemeanor, according to department records reviewed by The Dallas Morning News. He retired from the department in January, records show.
Grand jury proceedings are conducted in secret, with jurors deciding whether the evidence gathered by investigators and prosecutors is enough to support criminal charges. Over the past year, the Dallas County district attorney’s office declined to say whether a grand jury had been considering the case.
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On Friday, however, the office announced the outcome in a news release: Castro pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement to a police officer, a Class B misdemeanor, under an agreement requiring him to surrender his peace officer license, complete DWI classes, pay a fine and serve one year of deferred probation.
Neither Castro nor his attorney, John Snider, immediately responded to a request for comment Friday afternoon. The Dallas Police Association said a statement was forthcoming.
A Class B misdemeanor is punishable by up to 180 days in jail, a fine of up to $2,000 or both.
In the news release, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said the initial police investigation of the crash appeared to be incomplete under the department’s own policies.
Creuzot thanked Chief Daniel Comeaux, who took over the department in April, a month after the crash. He said the department’s review is continuing, but expressed doubt about the integrity of the initial investigation and whether the available evidence could support criminal charges.
“Were there other crimes committed or criminal liability stemming from the original offense, unfortunately, we may never know despite our exhaustive efforts to find the truth,” Creuzot said.
An allegation that two responding officers failed to properly investigate the crash began 10 days afterward. Those officers, Evan Muller and Robert Wilcox Jr., were on administrative leave until at least Aug. 15, according to department records reviewed by The News.
Whether Muller and Wilcox faced disciplinary action and have returned to duty is unclear. Police spokespeople have declined to answer questions about their standing, citing the ongoing investigation.
Allison Hudson, a police spokesperson, said although Comeaux arrived while the investigation was ongoing, the chief worked to ensure “this matter received a thorough internal review.”
Castro joined the department in 1998 and was last assigned to the department’s alarm unit, which is housed in the office of the police chief. Dallas Police Association members elected him president in January 2024. Before that, he had served on the union’s executive board since 2016.
The police association’s board confirmed the results of its last election in December, with Sean Pease beating out Castro for president with roughly 77% of the vote.
While still under investigation, Castro had run to retain the position.