Washington: Hunter Biden, the son of U.S. President Joe Biden, has pleaded guilty in a tax evasion case.
According to U.S. media, Hunter Biden was accused of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes, and he could face up to 17 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
According to a British news agency, Hunter Biden faced nine charges and pleaded guilty to all of them. The judge warned him that he could face up to 17 years in prison and a fine of up to $450,000.
The verdict in Hunter Biden’s case is expected on December 16.
Typically, criminal cases of this nature involve a plea agreement with the prosecutor to reduce the sentence without a court trial; however, this was not done in this case.
Initially, Hunter Biden’s lawyer requested an Alford plea, which would allow him to plead guilty without admitting to the crime, but the prosecutor objected.
After a break, Hunter Biden’s lawyer informed the court that his client wished to plead guilty without any agreement with the prosecutor or seeking leniency in sentencing.
After the hearing, Hunter Biden stated that his guilty plea was intended to spare his family further embarrassment.
He explained that during the hearings, details from a difficult period in his life when he was struggling with drug addiction were brought up repeatedly.
Hunter Biden mentioned that after overcoming his drug addiction, he had paid his taxes.
