California tax expert admits role in illegal alien's multimillion-dollar fraud scheme

A California tax preparer pleaded guilty Monday to helping an illegal immigrant file fraudulent federal income tax returns that claimed million in refunds the Justice Department noted Victor Cruz of Bakersfield helped Miguel Martinez a Mexican national who was in the United States illegally carry out the scheme from November through June prosecutors revealed FEDS BUST ARMENIAN FRAUD RING ACCUSED OF STEALING M IN COVID SMALL BUSINESS LOANSMartinez allegedly used stolen identities to create fake businesses and record phony wage and withholding information for the businesses to the Internal Revenue Provision IRS He then allegedly submitted hundreds of income tax returns using the stolen identities while claiming that they worked for the fake businesses and were owed tax refunds based on the phony information Cruz prepared and filed more than of the fraudulent tax returns executives mentioned COLOMBIAN WOMAN CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY VOTING IN BALLOTING STEALING IN TAXPAYER FUNDED BENEFITSIn exchange Cruz received thousands of dollars in fees from Martinez in exchange for his services The IRS truly paid out million of the million in refunds that were claimed Martinez has pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme and was sentenced to six years in prison Cruz is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov He faces up to years in prison and a fine