Former FBI informant Smirnov has been sentenced to six years.

Previously, Smirnov, who had made allegations of bribery against U.S. President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, admitted guilt for providing false testimony. As part of a plea deal with the prosecution, he stated that he fabricated the story claiming that Joe Biden and his son Hunter received five million dollars each from the Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

Smirnov also pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

The prosecution requested a six-year prison sentence for Smirnov, while the defense argued for a four-year term.

The 43-year-old Smirnov had been in custody since February of the previous year. According to the prosecution's version, the fabricated claims by Smirnov were "one of the most serious forms of election interference imaginable," as they influenced voting in the 2020 and 2024 elections.

Smirnov had been cooperating with the FBI for over ten years when he made sensational claims about the Biden family in June 2020. He stated at that time that Burisma's management had told him in 2015 and 2016 that they hired Biden's son to protect the company from legal troubles in the U.S. due to his father's connections.

Joe Biden served as Vice President in Barack Obama's administration until January 2017. Hunter Biden was on Burisma's board of directors from 2014 to 2019. However, the investigation revealed that Smirnov only had routine business dealings with Burisma, which began in 2017, after Biden Sr. was no longer Vice President.

Smirnov also claimed that Russian intelligence might have intercepted Hunter Biden's conversations in Kyiv, where he allegedly stayed. However, the investigation found that Hunter Biden had never been in Kyiv.

Due to Smirnov's statements, Congress initiated an impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden, led by Republicans. However, the investigation found no evidence that Joe Biden acted for personal gain or accepted bribes while serving as Vice President.

The Burisma issue had previously played a significant role in the impeachment of then-President Donald Trump (who was re-elected to the position in 2024) in 2019. It was alleged that Trump attempted to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens to help him win the election. The Senate, which had a Republican majority, later acquitted Trump.

Hunter Biden was found guilty of tax evasion and illegal possession of a firearm. Shortly before the sentencing in early December 2024, Joe Biden pardoned him, calling the process "politicized."