U.S. president’s son Hunter Biden convicted for evading tax, faces 17 years’ imprisonment

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, risks 17 years in jail after his conviction for tax evasion on Thursday.

On Thursday, Mr Biden pleaded guilty to three felony and six misdemeanour tax offences at a federal court in Los Angeles.

The court accepted his guilty plea.

Mr Biden will be sentenced on December 16, 2024.

U.S. Department of Justice, in a statement issued after the president’s son entered a guilty plea, said Mr Biden “willfully failed to file his 2017 and 2018 tax returns, on time; and when he did finally file his 2018 returns, included false business deductions in order to reduce the very substantial tax liability he faced as of February 2020,” amongst other offences.

It added, “At sentencing, Hunter Biden faces a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.

“A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.”