Judge Mark Scarsi to oversee Hunter Biden's tax evasion case as First Son faces 9 new criminal charges
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Judge Mark Scarsi, appointed by former President Donald Trump, is assigned to oversee Hunter Biden's tax evasion case as the former First Son is indicted with nine new charges filed by the Justice Department at a federal court in Los Angeles on December 7, reported Daily Mail.
The case alleges that President Joe Biden's son was involved in a $1.4 million tax evasion scheme from the tax years 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019.
The latest indictment comes as Hunter is already facing a weapons charge in Delaware regarding a gun purchase that could lead to a maximum combined 25 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
Who is Mark Scarsi?
Scarsi has been serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California since September 2020.
After graduating Juris Doctor with magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1996, he started privately practicing law at a Los-Angeles based intellectual property law firm.
In November 2018, former President Trump nominated Scarci to his current position. The nomination was returned under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.
Trump renominated him in 2019, which was once again returned under the same rule. The Senate confirmed his nomination at the third attempt in September 2020.
Hunter Biden hit with nine new tax-related charges
The 56-page document charges Hunter with various offenses, including two felonies for filing a false return, one felony for tax evasion, four charges for failure to pay taxes, and two additional charges for failure to file.
According to the indictment "rather than pay his taxes, the Defendant spent millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle."
"Between 2016 and October 15, 2020, the Defendant spent this money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes," the indictment reads.
The charges were brought by the Trump-appointed special counsel David Weiss, who has been overseeing the federal investigation into the First Son.
"According to the indictment, Hunter Biden engaged in a four-year scheme in which he chose not to pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes he owed for tax years 2016 through 2019 and to evade the assessment of taxes for tax year 2018 when he filed false returns," said a news release from Weiss's office.
Hunter could likely face a maximum penalty of 17 years in prison if convicted.
