New York (CNN) The New York State Attorney General's Office is poised to pursue a criminal probe of Michael Cohen's potential state tax law violations, having sought a criminal referral on the matter from the state Department of Taxation and Finance, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Attorney General Barbara Underwood's office sought the referral in recent days, following the criminal charges brought against President Donald Trump's former personal attorney by federal prosecutors in the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, this person said.

Cohen, who was charged in the federal case with eight counts, including five tax fraud charges, pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court Tuesday.

Criminal referral requests by the attorney general are generally granted, and in this case Underwood's office expects to receive such a referral. The referral request was first reported by The New York Times.

An attorney for Cohen didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

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