Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, pleaded not guilty to lying about using drugs when he bought a gun in the first criminal trial against the child of a sitting US president, reports RTE.
Hunter Biden, 53, appeared in federal court in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, without speaking to waiting reporters.
In 2018, he pleaded guilty to three felony charges related to the purchase of a .38-caliber Colt Cobra revolver when, by his own admission, he was heavily addicted to drugs and had no control over his life.
Hunter Biden was charged with two counts of making false statements on forms required to purchase a gun that he was not illegally using drugs at the time.
Hunter Biden’s series of legal problems and controversies – which also include scathing allegations from Republican politicians that he engaged in corrupt business practices in China and Ukraine – continue to hamper his father’s political stance for a second term in 2024, reports RTE.
Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Abbey Lowell, asked Judge Christopher Burke to allow Biden, who lives in California, to appear on video without having to be present in person, but the request was denied.
“The defendant should not receive any special treatment in this matter,” Mr Burke wrote in his ruling, reports RTE.
If convicted, Hunter Biden could theoretically face up to 25 years in prison, although such crimes rarely result in prison time unless accompanied by other charges.
In July, a deal between Hunter Biden and federal prosecutor David Weiss — which would have dropped gun charges while Biden would have pleaded guilty to two tax charges and avoided prison — collapsed.
Despite the Republicans’ allegations, Hunter Biden has not been charged with any crimes related to his foreign business dealings.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.