Hunter Biden was formally charged today by federal prosecutors in Delaware on three counts related to illegal gun possession. The son of the President of the United States is essentially accused of lying when he stated that he had not used drugs while filling out the forms to purchase a Colt Cobra in October 2018. Additionally, Hunter Biden, who has admitted in recent years that he is essentially accused of possessing a weapon under the influence due to his drug problems.
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The historic indictment of the son of a sitting president comes just days after the Republican majority in the House of Representatives announced the opening of an impeachment inquiry into alleged illegal ties between Biden and Hunter’s foreign dealings. The charges come after Hunter Biden’s agreement with prosecutor David Weiss, appointed by the Trump administration and then confirmed by the Biden administration, to investigate the president’s son’s affairs and personal life collapsed.
Last June, the investigation appeared to have been concluded with the plea agreement in which Hunter pleaded guilty to two minor tax crimes and entered into an out-of-court settlement to avoid prosecution for gun possession. However, the agreement collapsed in July when Judge Maryellen Noreika expressed doubts about its structure. Weeks later, on August 11, Attorney General Merrick Garland granted Weiss special prosecutor status, giving him the authority to indict Hunter Biden in any county in the country.
Today’s indictment is therefore unlikely to be the only one, as the agreement also failed in the area of minor tax offenses. Weiss’ move comes at a time when Hunter Biden’s lawyers are accusing him of reneging on an agreement that they say has already been ratified.
If convicted, Biden faces a maximum of 25 years in prison, as two counts carry a maximum sentence of 10 years and the third carries a maximum sentence of up to five years. In addition, the special prosecutor noted that additional charges related to failure to pay taxes on time could be filed in Washington or California.
In addition, legal experts consulted by NBCnews emphasize that these types of gun possession charges, like tax irregularity charges, are rarely brought against people with criminal records, and convictions and prison sentences are even rarer.