Hunter Biden pleads guilty in tax evasion trial in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden pleaded guilty Thursday to all nine counts in his criminal tax case in a Los Angeles federal court.

Hunter Biden, 54, was indicted in California in December on nine counts related to a Justice Department investigation into his taxes. Federal prosecutors charged him with evading at least 1.4 million U.S. dollars in tax payments.

The only surviving son of President Biden had previously pleaded not guilty in the case. But a lawyer for him announced in court Thursday that Hunter Biden planned to change his not guilty plea before the start of his trial.

Hunter Biden's stunning decision to plead guilty to misdemeanor and felony charges without the benefits of a deal with prosecutors came hours after jury selection was supposed to begin in the case, according to NBC Los Angeles television station.

Hunter Biden quickly responded "guilty" as the judge read out each of the nine counts, reported the television station, adding that the charges carry up to 17 years behind bars, but federal sentencing guidelines are likely to call for a much shorter sentence.

His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 16, shortly after the 2024 U.S. presidential election set to be held on Nov. 5.

Hunter Biden was convicted of three felony gun charges in a separate case in June. His conviction is related to purchasing a firearm in 2018 while addicted to crack cocaine, which is the first time in U.S. history that a sitting president's child has been convicted of a crime.