Hunter Biden has been indicted on nine charges over allegations that President Joe Biden’s son failed to file and pay taxes, and of filing a false return.
The indictment against Hunter Biden, 53, was filed in California. It includes three felony counts of tax evasion and filing a false return and six misdemeanor counts of failure to return. The Department of Justice (DOJ) accused Hunter Biden of not paying at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes between 2016 and through 2019, and evading the assessment of taxes in 2018 when he filed false returns.
If convicted, Hunter Biden faces a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison. The DOJ noted in a news release that actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence if a conviction against Hunter Biden occurs after taking into account sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The indictment is the second one to be filed against Hunter Biden, putting further pressure on his father, the president, heading into the 2024 election. House Republicans also hope to launch impeachment hearings against 81-year-old Joe Biden over disputed accusations he benefited from and influenced his son’s foreign business deals while in office.
In July, Hunter Biden was due to plead guilty to two tax-related misdemeanors, with a felony gun charge to be dropped as part of the deal. The proposal fell apart after it was scrutinized by a judge. Hunter Biden, who has a history of drug addiction, later pleaded not guilty in October in Delaware to charges of illegally possessing a firearm, despite knowing he was a drug user.
Federal prosecutors now accuse Hunter Biden of spending millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying his tax bills down the years.
Read more at Newsweek.com
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