Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, pleaded guilty to nine counts in a federal tax case

On September 5 local time, Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, pleaded guilty to nine counts in his federal tax case during a tax crime trial at a federal court in Los Angeles, California.

In December last year, Hunter Biden was charged with nine federal tax crimes, including failure to report and pay taxes, tax evasion, and filing false or fraudulent tax returns. Three of these counts are felonies and six are misdemeanors. The indictment states that Hunter Biden failed to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes within four years from 2016 to 2019 and evaded tax assessments for the 2018 tax year by submitting false returns around February 2020.

Previously, Hunter Biden had consistently refused to plead guilty. However, on the morning of the 5th, as the court began to select a jury, his lawyer suddenly announced that Hunter was prepared to change his plea of not guilty. In the end, when the judge read each of the nine counts, Hunter quickly answered "guilty."

The sentencing for Hunter's tax case is scheduled to take place in December this year. He may face up to 17 years in prison and a $1.3 million fine. In addition to the tax crime charges, Hunter was also convicted in June this year on three felony counts related to illegal gun possession. The relevant sentencing may take place in mid-October.

Hunter Biden is 54 years old and is the only living son of Joe Biden. Biden has repeatedly told the media that if his son is convicted, he will not pardon him before leaving office. Hunter Biden's plea of guilty this time has attracted widespread attention. This is not only his personal legal issue but may also have a certain impact on the Biden administration and US politics. The subsequent development trend is closely watched by all sectors.