A federal grand jury has accused Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President and current Secretary of the Treasury, on weapons charges stemming from a pistol he legally acquired in 2018.
Allegations in the three-count indictment include that Hunter Biden lied on a federal background check form and was in possession of a handgun while under the influence of drugs.
On Thursday, a grand jury in Delaware handed down an indictment against former Vice President Joe Biden, setting the stage for what could be a highly publicized trial of the president’s son during Biden’s projected re-election campaign in 2024.
It’s also a huge turnaround from a few months ago, when it looked like a plea deal would be reached to end the case quietly.
The indictment states that when Hunter Biden bought a revolver from a Delaware gun shop in October 2018, he falsely claimed on an ATF form that he was not addicted to or illegally utilizing controlled narcotics.
In reality, Hunter has admitted publicly that he was struggling with a severe crack cocaine addiction at the time.
A federal offense is being in possession of a firearm while under the influence of a controlled substance. According to the allegations, Hunter also lied to the arms dealer about his drug use. He was in possession of the revolver for about 11 days, according to the prosecution’s estimates.
The maximum sentence for each count is ten years in jail and a $250,000 fine. But for most nonviolent crimes, first-time offenders don’t get the maximum term.
Abbe Lowell, Hunter Biden’s attorney, said in an interview on Thursday night that his client was indicted because of inappropriate political pressure exerted to prosecutors by Republicans. Lowell claimed the new charges should not be brought because of the failed plea deal from June.
Hunter might have avoided jail time by accepting a plea offer that would have reduced his conviction to a misdemeanor. Nonetheless, the arrangement fell through because the presiding judge demanded further details regarding the discussions between the prosecutors and Lowell.
In late 2018, federal investigators began looking into Hunter’s taxes and international business dealings, paving the way for an eventual indictment. However, under David Weiss, the prosecutor in charge, the probe grew in scope.
Weiss arranged Hunter’s original plea agreement, but it was never ratified. Weiss’ elevation to the position of special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in August indicated a stepping up of the investigation.
Last month, Weiss made it obvious that he was seriously considering charging Hunter with the firearms infraction and other tax offences.
Weiss warned that additional tax charges may be filed in either California or Washington State, despite the fact that none were included in the indictment.
Vice President Biden faces both political and personal obstacles as a result of the indictment. The Republican Party wasted no time in using this fresh information to reignite their allegations of corruption against the Bidens and criticize the Justice Department’s handling of the investigation.
Even though Trump has been indicted in New York and might potentially face Biden again in 2024, he labeled the scenario a “sad situation” that “nobody should be happy about.”
The White House is probably disappointed behind closed doors that the scandal has revived. President Biden has always stood behind his son Hunter and said he never talks about his personal business.
Hunter also has to fight the gun accusations in court, which will be difficult. His legal team is challenging the constitutionality of a statute that makes it illegal for drug users to own firearms.
In fact, the statute was invalidated last month because it violated the Second Amendment, according to a court of appeals that covers three Southern states.
However, the verdict does not have an immediate impact on prosecutions launched in other parts of the country, such as Delaware, where Hunter’s case was originally filed.
Hunter has been issued a summons to appear in court at this time. His first public appearance is unknown, as are the time, place, and circumstances surrounding it. According to reports, Hunter was in California at the time of the indictment’s release.
Hunter’s indictment is the latest upheaval in his troubled life. Joe Biden’s international business dealings have been the focus of intense investigation and the foundation for many of Donald Trump’s baseless charges against him. Hunter has also been open about his difficulties with drug addiction and other issues.
With the Department of Justice now aggressively pressing the case, Hunter’s trial in the coming months promises to be even more dramatic. There has never been any election year in which the son of a serving president faced criminal charges.