First son Hunter Biden will plead not guilty to charges that he lied about being addicted to crack cocaine when he bought a gun in 2018, his attorney revealed in a court filing Tuesday.
The 53-year-old’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, made the disclosure in a letter asking federal Judge Christopher Burke to waive the requirement that Hunter appear in person for his arraignment.
“No matter if it is in person or virtual, you will forgo reading the indictment, which is only a few pages long and could easily be read over a video conference,” Lowell wrote. “Mr. Biden will also plead not guilty and there is no reason why he cannot say those two words via video conference.”
Lowell said the first child would represent a “logistical burden” for officials coordinating an in-person appearance in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, along with various financial costs borne by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Marshals Service. Joined.
“Without going into details, numerous officers and vehicles are needed for what would have to be a two-day event,” Lowell wrote. “This includes agents and vehicles in California and Delaware, as well as agents who must travel with him on the plane.”
Video conference hearings also “became commonplace” during the COVID-19 pandemic and remain an “efficient” alternative, he added, saying he found it “baffling” that federal prosecutors opposed them.
On September 14, federal prosecutors charged the first son with three counts of making a false statement about his drug use on a purchase form for a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018.
Charges against Hunter Biden
COUNT 1: False statement in the purchase of a firearm
He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; a fine of $250,000; 3 years of supervised release; a special assessment of $100.
COUNT 2: False statement relating to information required to be maintained by a federally licensed firearms dealer
He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison; a fine of $250,000; 3 years of supervised release; a special assessment of $100.
COURT 3: Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal User or Addict of a Controlled Substance
He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; a fine of $250,000; 3 years of supervised release; a special assessment of $100.
Hunter Biden had admitted in his 2021 memoir, “Beautiful Things,” to abusing narcotics during that period. The federal charges carry a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
He could also face additional charges in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles after IRS whistleblowers alleged that the Justice Department prevented them from fully investigating possible evidence of tax fraud and illegal foreign lobbying.
In an explosive revelation, IRS Supervisory Agent Gary Shapley and IRS Special Cases Agent Joseph Ziegler revealed that Hunter threatened a Chinese business partner in a July 30, 2017 WhatsApp message by telling him he was ” sitting” next to his father and that “he would always hold a grudge against him. ”if an agreement that involved a payment of $5.1 million to Biden’s associates was not finalized.
IRS investigators also said prosecutors from Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss’ office prevented them from pursuing lines of inquiry that could have implicated President Biden, and tipped Hunter off to a planned search of his storage unit and a personal interview.
Shapley further alleged that Weiss told him and other IRS and FBI officials during a meeting in October 2022 that he had been denied special counsel authority or the ability to charge the first child outside of Delaware.
Hunter Biden allegedly lied about the fact that he was addicted to crack cocaine when he bought a gun in 2018.
Several of those officials have since testified before Congress that they did not remember Weiss making those claims.
Weiss, a Trump appointee who was recommended to be Delaware’s top prosecutor by the state’s Democratic senators, only announced the initial charges against the first son after IRS whistleblowers went public with their cover-up allegations.
Attorney General Merrick Garland, who under sworn testimony before Congress said Weiss had the authority to charge Hunter Biden, elevated the U.S. attorney in Delaware to special prosecutor status on Aug. 11 to continue the investigation.
House Republicans have since launched an impeachment inquiry into Biden’s alleged involvement in his son’s business dealings, saying they do not trust Weiss’s ability to conduct a thorough investigation.
A plea deal with Hunter’s lawyers publicly collapsed during a court hearing in July.REUTERS
Hunter’s latest court appearance ended with his legal team’s decision to back out of a plea deal that would have imposed two years of probation on him for failing to pay taxes on more than $2 million in foreign entity income. in China and Ukraine. among others.
His weapons offense would also have been expunged if he had completed that probation.
During the July 26 hearing, Delaware District Judge Maryellen Noreika pressed federal prosecutors to say whether a provision in a diversion agreement for Hunter’s weapons charge granted immunity for past crimes.
The first son may have violated other federal laws not included in Weiss’ June 20 indictment as part of his foreign dealings, including possible violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
According to documents filed Tuesday by his attorney, Hunter was arraigned and fingerprinted and had a photograph taken at the Wilmington courthouse after his plea deal blew up.
In a previous order signed by Noreika, Hunter also agreed to the conditions of his release, including appearing for all court dates, remaining sober, submitting to drug testing, seeking employment and informing the court of all travel plans.
Lowell said in the most recent filing that Hunter had “scrupulously complied with his conditions since returning to California.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn