Judge Mark Scarsi warned Biden that he could face up to 17 years in prison and up to $1.3 million in fines after the first son made the last-minute decision to enter an “open plea,” which involves pleading guilty without negotiating a deal with prosecutors.

Government prosecutors read aloud all 56 pages of the indictment that special counsel David Weiss brought against Biden last December to make clear to the courtroom what tax crimes Biden had committed, according to CNN.

“Do you agree that you committed every element of every crime?” Scarsi asked the first son after the reading was over.

“Yes,” Biden responded.

Scarsi set Biden’s sentencing hearing for Dec. 16.

Thursday’s turn of events came the same day the case was expected to proceed to jury selection. Biden’s guilty plea allowed him to avert the trial in the eleventh hour.

The trial was expected to last weeks and become a deeply embarrassing and personal ordeal for Biden. He faced accusations that he made millions of dollars from foreign business ventures during the 2015 to 2019 tax years and that he spent it on prostitutes, drugs, and other frivolous purchases while neglecting to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes.

Weiss had indicated that he planned to call witnesses to the stand, including Biden’s ex-girlfriends, to testify about Biden’s behavior during that time period. At the time, Biden was grappling with crack cocaine and alcohol addiction after his brother, Beau Biden, died in 2015 from cancer.

Weiss also secured a conviction against Hunter Biden in June on three felonies related to a gun purchase. The historic return from the jury marked the first time a sitting president’s child was criminally convicted.

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Hunter Biden is set to be sentenced on those charges in November. President Joe Biden has vowed not to pardon his son.

This story is developing.