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On Thursday, September 14, 2023, Hunter Biden was indicted on federal gun charges. According to The New York Times, he is accused of illegally owning a gun despite being a drug user. The 53-year-old suspect allegedly denied using drugs when trying to purchase a legal firearm.
While he has been charged, he is considered innocent until proven guilty. However, USA Today reported that if the President's son is convicted, he could be imprisoned for up to 25 years.
According to Reuters, Hunter Biden was attempting to avoid jail time through a plea deal, in which he would plead guilty to willfully failing to pay income taxes in exchange for being let off the gun charges.
However, the plea deal fell apart due to a disagreement between prosecutors and Biden's defense team. Now, it appears the son of the current President could face a harsher prison sentence due to the firearm-related indictment.
What are the federal gun charges leveled against Hunter Biden?
According to the Justice Department, the gun charges against Hunter Biden date back to 2018. When he tried to purchase the gun, 53-year-old Biden was allegedly addicted to crack cocaine. Prosecutors claimed that despite his full knowledge of his drug use, Hunter Biden consciously did not disclose the information when trying to obtain a firearm legally.
The form at the gun store stated:
"(Are you) an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance."
According to prosecutors, Hunter Biden wrote "no" in response to this question.
CNN reported that in October 2018, 53-year-old Biden successfully obtained a revolver from a gun store in Delaware. According to court records, he owned the weapon for 11 days. However, as stated by USA Today, in his memoir, he admitted to smoking crack frequently during that period. Biden said his addiction was so strong that he smoked crack almost every 15 minutes.
As per The Associated Press, during the 2020 elections, Joe Biden had spoken about his son's drug problems. The elder Biden claimed that his son was no longer addicted to any illegal substances.
"My son, like a lot people ... had a drug problem. He's overtaken it, he's fixed it, he's worked on it. And I'm proud of him. I'm proud of my son," President Joe Biden said.
In a report on the allegations, CNN mentioned the younger Biden is currently believed to be in California. Authorities said they are still adjusting the terms that could lead to his self-surrender.
