Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, has been formally indicted on charges related to firearms, as revealed in recent court documents.
The indictment follows after negotiations for a plea deal between the special counsel, David Weiss, and Hunter Biden broke down. The initial plea deal was questioned by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, particularly regarding the extent of Hunter’s protection under the proposed terms. The current charges accuse Hunter Biden of making false declarations on a federal gun purchase application. Specifically, in October 2018, Hunter asserted he wasn’t using drugs when applying to buy a handgun, despite later admitting in his memoir to a crack cocaine addiction during that period.
The legal consequences for these charges are severe. Two of the charges could lead to a maximum of 10 years imprisonment each, and the third could result in up to 5 years, as reported by NBC News. This is a stark difference from the initial plea deal, which would have allowed Hunter to avoid incarceration and instead participate in a program that, upon successful completion, would have expunged the firearm-related charges from his record.
JUST IN: Hunter Biden has been indicted on three charges related to false statements in the purchase of a fiream. See the indictment here.https://t.co/mgBhsi2l2e pic.twitter.com/Xu3acEwGZO
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) September 14, 2023
The indictment details that Hunter, despite being aware of his addiction to controlled substances, “did knowingly possess a firearm, that is, a Colt Cobra 38SPL revolver.”
Earlier in the month, Weiss had indicated his intention to pursue charges against Hunter for false statements on a gun registration form and illegal firearm possession. While Weiss had hinted at potential gun-related charges in a note to Judge Noreika in Delaware, he did not reference any charges linked to Hunter’s foreign business activities or tax matters, which are currently under scrutiny by House Republicans. The plea deal that didn’t materialize had also encompassed two misdemeanor tax-related charges against Hunter Biden.
