NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The family business of former United States president Donald Trump is facing potential fines of over $1.5 million if found guilty of fraud and tax evasion during a New York trial set to begin Monday.

Manhattan prosecutors have charged the Trump Organization, currently run by Trump's two adult sons, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, with hiding compensation it paid to some of its top executives between 2005 and 2021.

One of those executives, longtime CFO Allen Weisselberg, has already pleaded guilty to 15 counts of tax fraud, and is expected to testify against his former company as part of a plea bargain.

A close friend of the Trump family, the 75-year-old Weisselberg admitted he schemed with the company to receive undeclared benefits such as a rent-free apartment in a posh Manhattan neighborhood, luxury cars for him and his wife and private school tuition for his grandchildren.

According to his plea deal, Weisselberg has agreed to pay nearly $2 million in fines and penalties and complete a five month prison sentence in exchange for testimony during the trial, for which jury selection begins Monday.

"This plea agreement directly implicates the Trump Organization in a wide range of criminal activity and requires Weisselberg to provide invaluable testimony in the upcoming trial against the corporation," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said earlier in August.

Weisselberg has so far refused to give testimony directly implicating the former president in the scheme.

Two subsidiaries of the Trump family's sprawling real estate, golf and hospitality business are targeted by the suits.

While Donald Trump is not named in this case, he is facing charges along with three of his eldest children in another civil investigation led by New York's attorney general, Leticia James.