A former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) informant was charged Thursday for falsifying reports that US President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, each received $5 million in bribes from a Ukrainian energy company.

According to the indictment, Alexander Smirnov reported to an FBI Agent in March 2017 that he had been in contact with the owner of the Ukrainian company, Burisma Holdings Ltd., seeking to acquire a U.S. company and make an offering on the U.S.-based stock exchange. Smirnov also informed the FBI Agent that President Biden and Hunter Biden – identified as “Public Official 1” and “Businessperson 1” were members of the company’s board.

Three years later, in June 2020, Smirnov created a false record to the FBI Agent that executives of the Ukrainian company had told him that “Public Official 1” and “Businessperson 1” were paid $5 million by the company to protect them during a criminal investigation.

Smirnov has been charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 1001 for making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record and 18 U.S.C. § 1519, for falsifying records during a federal investigation.

According to the indictment:

…the Defendant transformed his routine and unextraordinary business contacts with Burisma in 2017 and later into bribery allegations against Public Official 1, the presumptive nominee of one of the two major political parties for President, after expressing bias against Public Official 1 and his candidacy.

In a press release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, Smirnov was interviewed by FBI Agents in September 2023, where he repeatedly made similar false claims, changed his story for other claims and falsely alleged he met with Russian officials.

Charges against Smirnov were filed by the Justice Department’s special counsel, David Weiss, who has brought two cases against Hunter Biden for failure to pay taxes and unlawful possession of a gun.

If convicted, Smirnov could face a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.