President Biden’s son Hunter was indicted last Thursday on federal firearms charges, weeks after a plea deal that would have avoided a criminal trial fell apart, the Associated Press reported.
In an indictment filed in federal court in Delaware, the younger Biden is accused of lying about his drug addiction on a federal form when purchasing a firearm in October 2018.
Hunter is charged with two counts of completing a federal form indicating that he was not using illegal drugs when he purchased a Colt revolver. The third count alleges that Hunter possessed a firearm while using narcotics.
According to the indictment, Hunter certified on the federal form that he did not use unlawful drugs, nor was he addicted to any stimulants, narcotics, or controlled substances, knowing that the answers were “false and fictitious.”
The first two counts carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years each while the third count carries a maximum sentence of five years. All three counts also carry a maximum fine of $250,000, according to NBC News.
In a statement last week, Hunter’s attorney Abbe Lowell described the charges as politically motivated and unwarranted.
According to Lowell, special counsel David Weiss was barred from bringing charges based on the agreement Hunter made with prosecutors. He added that recent federal court rulings have determined that the statute under which Hunter was charged is unconstitutional.
Lowell said the defense would demonstrate in court that Hunter did not violate the law.
While appearing on CNN last Thursday, Lowell said that the statute under which Hunter was charged is ambiguous. He said that at the time Hunter purchased the firearm, there was no evidence that he was suffering from drug addiction. He noted that in his memoir, Hunter mentioned that he had just been released from rehab at the time.
