Federal prosecutors say an Atlanta man collected more than $1.3 million from fraudulent tax returns from 24 states, including Hawaii, using the Social Security numbers and birth dates of other people.

Michael Stringer, 29, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to wire fraud and identity theft for filing a tax return and receiving a refund involving one person. A Hawaii grand jury charged him with filing 24 fraudulent tax returns with the Hawaii Department of Taxation and collecting 11 refunds worth $135,685.

Stringer faces a mandatory two-year prison term for the identity theft plus up to 20 years for the wire fraud when he is sentenced in May. He will also be ordered to repay the $1.3 million to the 24 states.

He collected $282,004 from Hawaii and $1,042,596 from the tax departments of 23 other states, said Les Osborne Jr., assistant U.S. attorney.

The guilty pleas, which were part of a negotiated agreement with the government, settle any possible prosecutions in the other states, Osborne said.

Stringer said he filed the tax returns electronically through a tax service in California. According to the indictment, he or a designee later withdrew the returns.

The indictment does not mention how Stringer obtained the Social Security numbers and birth dates of the people without their permission or knowledge.