Hunter Biden to plead guilty to tax offenses

The Justice Department on Tuesday charged President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, with failing to pay federal income tax and illegally possessing a weapon following a five-year investigation. As part of an agreement with the Justice Department, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses. Biden’s attorney and the Justice Department said that a separate agreement with prosecutors will allow Biden to avoid trial for the felony weapons charge. In a statement, the White House declined to comment, except to say the Bidens love and support their son “as he continues to rebuild his life.”

Will any of the charges lead to jail time? Illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Exact details of the deal over the weapons charge were not immediately available. The deal could prevent a prison sentence but could come with stipulations, like entering a treatment program. Biden is expected to appear in federal court in Delaware soon to be arraigned and plead guilty. 

Dig deeper: Read Mark Hemingway’s column in WORLD Opinions about Twitter and Hunter Biden’s laptop.