Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, has been indicted on three criminal counts related to his possession of a firearm. The charges were filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware after a deal with federal prosecutors unexpectedly collapsed. Hunter Biden, who has been open about his struggles with substance abuse, is accused of lying about his illegal drug use when purchasing a Colt Cobra revolver. He is also charged with possession of a firearm as an unlawful drug user. The two most serious counts carry maximum sentences of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fines. The White House and Hunter Biden's attorney have not yet commented on the indictment.
This development follows Hunter Biden's appearance in federal court in July, where he intended to plead guilty to misdemeanor criminal tax charges. He had reached a pretrial diversion agreement with prosecutors on an unrelated firearms charge, but the plan fell apart during questioning about the details of the agreement. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to failing to pay federal taxes on more than $1.5 million annually in 2017 and 2018, and the tax bill has since been repaid.
U.S. Attorney David Weiss, who was appointed as special counsel in Hunter Biden's case by Attorney General Merrick Garland, has indicated that an indictment would be filed by the end of September. The case has been the subject of legal arguments between Weiss and Biden's lawyers regarding the prior agreement to avoid prosecution on the felony weapons charge.