The son of the United States President, Hunter Biden, is expected to plead guilty to two tax crimes according to a court filing on Tuesday.
Hunter is also reportedly striking a deal with federal prosecutors regarding a separate felony gun charge while he was a drug user.
According to a whistle-blower, in 2018, Hunter Biden purchased a gun while addicted to drugs and lied on his application, which is normally a felony with up to 10 years in prison. He also failed to pay taxes on million in income.
In a statement provided to several US news outlets, the younger Biden’s lawyer confirmed on Tuesday that “Hunter will take responsibility for two instances of misdemeanor failure to file tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement.”
The lawyer, Christopher Clark, added that a separate firearms charge, “will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement”. A “pretrial diversion” is typically an agreement between defendants and prosecutors that allows rehabilitation instead of prison time.
The gun charge relates to Hunter Biden’s possession of a Colt Cobra 38 special handgun for 11 days in October 2018, despite knowing he was a drug user – a violation of federal law. The count carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison
“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,” the statement said.
The deal is expected to end a yearslong federal probe into the younger Biden’s personal and professional dealings that has long presented a political headache for his father, while fuelling criticism – and conspiracy theory – from the right.
In a brief statement, White House spokesperson Ian Sams said: “The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life. We will have no further comment.”
