President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter has reached a deal with the Justice Department in relation to charges that he failed to pay federal income tax and the illegal possession of a weapon.
According to the agreement, made public as a result of a court filing today, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax offenses and is, according to several US media reports, expected to reach a deal on a felony charge of illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user.
As part of his admission that he illegally possessed a weapon following a 2018 gun-purchase, Hunter’s expected to be entered into a diversion programme, a less punitive punishment applied to people grappling with substance abuse issues.
Court papers indicate that Hunter Biden’s also likely to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges for failure to pay federal incomes taxes in 2017 and 2018 with prosecutors expected to recommend a sentence of probation.
The younger Biden has struggled with substance abuse for years and in 2022 paid back the federal incomes taxes he had failed to pay in years prior.
The deal reached with a Trump-appointed US Attorney for the State of Delaware David Weiss, will have to be signed off by a judge, before finalised.
Successful completion of the diversion programme on the weapons complaint could see the charge fully dismissed after complying with the conditions of the programme.
