Hunter Biden pleaded guilty today in a federal court in Los Angeles to all charges in a nine-count indictment, which includes three felony tax offenses and six misdemeanor tax offenses. No plea agreement was part of the proceedings.
Judge Scarsi accepted the guilty plea and set the sentencing date for December 16, 2024.
The indictment states that Hunter Biden was involved in a four-year scheme where he did not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes owed for the years 2016 to 2019, and he attempted to avoid tax assessments for 2018 by filing false returns. The allegations detail that he:
manipulated the payroll and tax withholding practices of his company by withdrawing millions without going through the proper tax processes;
spent substantial amounts on his lavish lifestyle rather than settling his tax obligations;
ceased paying overdue taxes for the year 2015 in 2018;
intentionally neglected to pay taxes for 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 on time, despite having the means to do so;
failed to timely file tax returns for 2017 and 2018; and
when he eventually filed his 2018 returns, he falsely reported business deductions to lower his significant tax liability as of February 2020.
At sentencing, Hunter Biden could face a maximum of 17 years in prison. However, it is common for actual sentences in federal cases to be less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will decide the sentence, considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant legal factors.