Criminal Justice
Hunter Biden reaches plea deal to resolve tax and gun charges
Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, boards Air Force One with the president in February 2023 at the Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York. He has reached an agreement in which he will plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enter a pretrial diversion program to resolve a gun charge. Photo by Patrick Semansky/The Associated Press.
President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden has reached an agreement with prosecutors in which he will plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enter a pretrial diversion program to resolve a gun charge.
Politico, the Washington Post and the New York Times have reports on the deal, contained in a June 20 court filing.
A federal judge must approve the agreement between Hunter Biden and U.S. Attorney David Weiss of Delaware, who remained on the job after former President Donald Trump left office.
Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of willful failure to pay his 2017 and 2018 taxes on time. He will also enter a pretrial diversion program to resolve a charge of possession of a firearm by a drug user.
Hunter Biden has admitted that he was addicted to crack cocaine. The gun charge will be dropped if Hunter Biden complies with the terms of the pretrial diversion program.
To avoid prosecution, Hunter Biden must remain drug-free for two years and agree to never own a gun, according to the New York Times.
Hunter Biden will likely avoid prison time as a result of the agreements, according to the news coverage.
The New York Times published this statement by Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Christopher Clark: “With the announcement of two agreements between my client, Hunter Biden, and the United States attorney’s office for the District of Delaware, it is my understanding that the five-year investigation into Hunter is resolved.
“Hunter will take responsibility for two instances of misdemeanor failure to file tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement. A firearm charge, which will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement, will also be filed by the government. I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”
