Hunter Biden pleads guilty in tax evasion trial in Los Angeles

Hunter Biden, the son of U.S. President Joe Biden, has pleaded guilty to all nine counts in his federal tax case, which was heard in a Los Angeles court. Hunter, 54, was indicted in December in California on charges stemming from a Justice Department investigation into his taxes. He was accused of evading at least $1.4 million in tax payments.

Initially, Hunter had entered a plea of not guilty. However, during a court appearance on Thursday, his attorney announced that Hunter intended to change his plea before the trial commenced. This decision to plead guilty to both misdemeanor and felony charges came just hours before jury selection was set to begin.

As the judge read each of the nine counts, Hunter responded with a swift “guilty” to all charges. Although these charges carry a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison, sentencing guidelines are expected to result in a much shorter sentence.

Hunter’s sentencing is scheduled for December 16, shortly after the U.S. presidential election on November 5, 2024. In a separate legal matter, Hunter was convicted in June of three felony gun charges related to purchasing a firearm in 2018 while addicted to crack cocaine. This conviction marks the first time in U.S. history that a child of a sitting president has been convicted of a crime.