Ex Republican Candidate Charged With Scamming Elderly After Infamous Kool Aid And Watermelon Comment

A former New York state Senate candidate, Jon Girodes, notorious for a racially insensitive campaign stunt in Harlem, is now facing serious legal troubles again. A grand jury has indicted him on felony counts of scheme to defraud and grand larceny tied to a tax preparation con where he allegedly swindled clients out of $250,000. Girodes, 48, previously made headlines during his 2016 Senate campaign when he offended the Harlem community by offering food stereotypes at a fundraising event. His political aspirations were derailed when he was arrested for a Craigslist rental scam, where he defrauded multiple renters out of over $63,000. Having pled guilty in 2017, he served at least three years in prison. The latest allegations involve his tax business, American Accounting Services Inc., where he allegedly tricked clients, including elderly couples, out of substantial sums while promising tax relief assistance. Girodes has pleaded not guilty in the current case.