U.S. President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden will appear on Oct. 3 in a federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, to face charges of illegally owning a gun while using or addicted to illegal drugs as well as “tax evasion,” reported Reuters.
This is the first-ever prosecution of a sitting U.S. president’s offspring.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers have said he will plead “not guilty.” If convicted of the charges, Biden’s son could face up to 25 years in prison.
On Tuesday, Biden’s attorney Abbe Lowell asked for his client to enter the not-guilty plea via video conference, but Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke refused the request on Wednesday.
Appearing in person would “emphasize the integrity and solemnity of a federal criminal proceeding,” the judge said.
Hunter Biden’s lawyers had previously negotiated a plea deal with the federal prosecutor related to two tax crimes, but that deal fell through.
The allegations stem from his alleged failure to pay taxes on more than $1.5 million in income for the years 2017 and 2018, totaling over $100,000 in unpaid taxes, illegal gun possession and drug use at a time that he was recovering from a drug addiction.
In June, prosecutors announced a plea deal for Hunter Biden’s criminal case. However, a three-hour hearing on Wednesday left the deal unresolved. Biden is now required to avoid firearms, alcohol, and controlled substances.
Republicans criticized the plea agreement, arguing without any substantiation that Hunter Biden had received “preferential treatment” at President Biden’s son, and raising concerns about a potential conflict of interest within the Justice Department.
Democrats have fired back that Biden is being prosecuted on charges that are rarely brought by the Department of Justice.