< strong>US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, formally pleaded guilty today to tax evasion in a Los Angeles court - a twist for prosecutors that spared him a new trial after his conviction in June in another gun case and drug use, BTA reported.
Fifty-four-year-old Hunter Biden said he wanted to use what's known as an "Alford plea," in which a defendant tries to strike a deal with the court by admitting there is enough evidence to convict him while simultaneously maintained that he was innocent, but when the prosecution refused, he pleaded guilty.
The former lawyer and businessman faced one count of tax fraud and two counts of filing false returns for failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes over the past decade, according to AFP.
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The judge set the sentence to be pronounced on December 16. Hunter Biden is threatened with up to 17 years in prison and up to $450,000 in fines, reports Reuters.
Even before the start of the trial in Los Angeles, his lawyer Abby Lowell told the judge that his client was ready to plead guilty, but using a special precedent in American law that allows him to accept a sentence, while announcing that is innocent. However, the prosecutor's office refused this procedure, preferring to continue the trial.
The guilty plea, albeit without a plea deal, would allow Hunter Biden to avoid a public trial where witnesses could reveal unflattering facts about his lavish lifestyle, spending spree and drug use.
American President Joe Biden has repeatedly stated that he will not pardon his son if he is convicted, DPA points out.