Hunter Biden pleads guilty to several tax offenses and illegal possession of a weapon

In a letter filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware, the president's son pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion and buying a gun while he was addicted to drugs.

Published by

Verónica Silveri Pazos

20 de junio, 2023

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Hunter Biden reached a plea agreement with Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors to plead guilty to two misdemeanor counts of tax evasion and the illegal purchase and possession of a gun, according to a letter filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware.

The plea agreement must be approved by a federal judge. Subsequently, the president's son must appear in court to plead guilty.

Hunter Biden Letter (1) by Verónica Silveri

The charges against Hunter Biden are as follows

As a result of an investigation that began in 2018, the president's son faces a misdemeanor charge of failure to pay income tax - worth more than $100,000 - in 2017 and 2018, according to The Washington Post. Hunter Biden received taxable income of around $1.5 million these two years.

The other charge against him is unlawful purchase and possession of a weapon in 2018. In this year Hunter, as he tells in his autobiography, was a crack addict. This was denied at the time of acquisition. This exposes him to a charge of making false statements on an official document (government forms for the purchase of weapons), which carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Sources close to the president's son told WaPo anonymously that "prosecutors would recommend two years of probation and detour conditions. If Biden successfully meets the conditions of the diversion program, the gun charge would be removed from his record at the end of that period."

Christopher Clark, Hunter Biden's attorney, said in a statement that, "the Hunter investigation is resolved”:

With the announcement of two settlements between my client, Hunter Biden, and the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware, I understand that the five-year investigation of Hunter is resolved. Hunter will assume responsibility for two misdemeanor cases for failure to submit tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement. ... The Government will also file a firearm charge, which will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement. 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 hopes to continue his recovery and move forward.

Joe Biden comes to his son’s defense

President Joe Biden and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, spoke out in support of their son's decision to plead guilty. White House Counsel's Office Spokesman Ian Sams commented:

The president and first lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life.

On the other hand, Republican officials were critical of Hunter Biden's situation compared to other trials, such as the one facing former President Trump. Senator Rick Scott commented that the guilty plea is "a mockery of our legal system by a family that has no respect for our laws."