A former FBI informant has been sentenced to six years in prison for fabricating a bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, according to a report.
Alexander Smirnov was sentenced to federal prison on Wednesday, CNN reported. He has also promised to repay about $675,000 in restitution to the IRS for tax evasion.
He became an FBI informant around 2010 amid connections to corrupt foreign business and government officials. In 2020, he falsely told the FBI that executives from a Ukrainian energy firm paid Joe Biden and his son $5 million each around 2015, while he served as vice president.
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Smirnov’s claim became the lynchpin of a Republican-led impeachment effort against Biden.
In February, Smirnov was arrested for lying to the FBI. He later pleaded guilty to fabricating an FBI record and three counts of tax evasion.
Prosecutors said Smirnov fabricated the story to undermine Biden’s campaign against Donald Trump in 2020.
