A California tax preparer pleaded guilty Monday to helping an illegal immigrant file fraudulent federal income tax returns that claimed $25 million in refunds, the Justice Department said. 

Victor Cruz, 40, of Bakersfield, helped Miguel Martinez, a Mexican national who was in the United States illegally, carry out the scheme from November 2019 through June 2023, prosecutors said. 

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Martinez allegedly used stolen identities to create fake businesses and report phony wage and withholding information for the businesses to the Internal Revenue Service (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 500 of the fraudulent tax returns, authorities said. 

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In exchange, Cruz received thousands of dollars in fees from Martinez in exchange for his services. The IRS actually paid out $2.3 million of the $25 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. 17, 2025. 

He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.