PHOENIX - A longtime advocate for immigrants in Arizona was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $131,000 in restitution for a felony conviction stemming from his tax preparation business. Elias Bermudez had previously pleaded guilty to assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, acknowledging that he falsely added dependents, including three children who lived in Mexico, to his clients’ tax returns to maximize refundable credits. Bermudez, 68, led protests more than a decade ago against immigration laws and then-Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s crackdowns on immigrants. He is known for kneeling down in front of...
