A federal judge has refused to dismiss the U.S. government's tax-evasion case against two-time Indy 500 winner Helio Castroneves, the Miami Herald reported.
The Herald said that his sister, Katiucia Castroneves, and his Michigan lawyer, Alan R. Miller, are accused of assisting the Coral Gables, Fla. resident in the alleged tax-evasion scheme from 1999-2004.
U.S. District Court Judge Donald Graham in Miami denied motions by all three defendants Thursday, including two by Miller seeking a separate trial and dismissal of the charges.
"'They're trying to show something that doesn't exist," Castroneves, 33, told reporters. "We're ready. Kati and I are innocent."
The IndyCar driver was a winner in 2007 on the popular television program "Dancing with the Stars."Penske Racing is using Will Power as his replacement in the No. 3 car during preseason testing.
