Ex-police officer jailed for same crime as Hunter Biden: 'Everyone should be held accountable'

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Former police officer given prison time for same crime as Hunter Biden

Former Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa joined 'America's Newsroom' to discuss his 'extremely tough' experience behind bars and his take on what many see as a politically-motivated double standard. 

A former Baltimore police commissioner who served jail time for the same tax crime Hunter Biden was charged with broke his silence, acknowledging the Justice Department's double "standard" as it pertains to law and order. 

Darryl De Sousa pleaded guilty to three tax charges in 2019 and served 10 months behind bars for the same crimes President Biden's son is accused of. Two of the federal prosecutors on De Sousa's case were also involved in Hunter's case. 

"It was extremely… tough, and it was something that I had to really quickly come to terms with. Walking from the receiving and discharge building to the camp where I was walking in the door with… approximately 100 and something of other men," De Sousa said during "America's Newsroom" Thursday. "And the best way that I knew how to move forward in situations like this is just to be completely honest, and they have to accept me for who I am."

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"Yes, I did policing for 30 years, but at the end of the day, I'm still Darryl De Sousa right now," he continued. "This is where I'm from. These are the things that I enjoy in life, and at the end of the day, I really was no different from the men, the great men that I spent time here with."

De Sousa was accused of not paying more than $67,000 in taxes and his plea agreement included 10 months of prison time. Hunter Biden is accused of evading more than $2 million in taxes and his now-collapsed plea agreement only included probation. 

DELAWARE, UNITED STATES - JULY 26: United States President Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden, exits in J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Delaware, United States on July 26, 2023. (Photo by Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Co-host Dana Perino asked De Sousa if the discrepancies in the case felt politically motivated or if he felt "let down" by the Justice Department's apparent "double standard."

"I think it's a little bit a mixture of all of the above that you just said," De Sousa responded. "Me personally, I felt that… I went through that storm of my life. This is the way the criminal justice system is supposed to be, and again… I wanted to own up and take accountability for what I did."

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"But [if] this is the way the justice system is supposed to be designed, then it should be everyone should be held accountable across the board," he continued. "They should be held at the same standard as me or someone else that unfortunately had to go through this, but again, like I said, I want to hold myself accountable."

Hunter Biden's plea deal fell apart during his first court appearance last week. He pleaded "not guilty" as federal prosecutors confirmed he is still under federal investigation. 

Hunter Biden was previously expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax, as part of plea deal to avoid jail time on a felony gun charge.

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But that came to a screeching halt when Judge Maryellen Noreika did not accept the plea agreement, questioning the constitutionality — specifically the diversion clause and the immunity Hunter Biden would receive.

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Regardless, De Sousa reiterated his desire to pay his debt to society, expressing his need to take accountability for his past wrongdoings. 

"I grew up in a humble background," De Sousa said. "Always wanted to be a police officer from day one, from when I was a child. Finally made it, doing police work and finally made it to the pinnacle of policing, and I was hit with these charges."

"I felt as though I left so much on the table. I had so much plans for a Baltimore city, for my family, for my loved ones, and it just really changed the trajectory," he continued. "You talk about being at the top of law enforcement and then the very next day you're sentenced to a federal institution, so the trajectory definitely changed for me."

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Fox News' Brooke Singman and Jake Gibson contributed to this report.