Federal law enforcement authorities are looking for a former Maui tax preparer who is facing charges of filing false income tax returns for himself and others.

A grand jury returned an indictment in April charging Ernesto V. Gonzales Jr. with 20 counts of helping clients submit false tax returns and one count of submitting a false return for himself.

A federal judge ordered the indictment and arrest warrant sealed until authorities could apprehend Gonzales.

The U.S. attorney last month requested that the arrest warrant be unsealed because the U.S. Marshals Service believes Gonzales is overseas and that unsealing the warrant will help the service track down and return Gonzales to Hawaii for prosecution.

The federal prosecutor asked the court to unseal the indictment last week.

The indictment charges Gonzales with making $416,277 worth of false deductions on the individual and joint income tax returns of 15 clients for the tax years 2008-2010.

Gonzales was owner and operator of E.V. Gonzales Jr. Income Tax Service in Wailuku.

The indictment says the false deductions were for losses from fabricated sole proprietorship businesses, real estate rentals and corporation interests.

None of the clients are charged with any crimes, and they are identified only by their initials.

The indictment also alleges Gonzales made a bogus $10,608 deduction on his own 2010 income tax return.