President Joe Biden's son Hunter has been charged with illegally possessing a gun 'as a drug user' and failing to pay federal income tax, according to a letter filed in the US District Court in Delaware.
The president's son has reached an agreement with the Justice Department, according to the letter.
As part of the agreement, which was made public today, Tuesday June 20, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to misdemeanour tax offences and is expected to reach an agreement with prosecutors on the felony charge of 'illegally possessing a firearm as a drug user'.
Hunter Biden, 53, is expected to plead guilty to misdemeanour counts of failing to pay his 2017 and 2018 taxes on time and agree to probation, according to the filing.
The Justice Department said it would charge Hunter Biden but agree not to prosecute him in connection with his purchase of a handgun in 2018 - a period of time in which he was using drugs. However, the deal would be contingent on Hunter Biden remaining drug-free for 24 months and agreeing never to own a firearm again.
The deal, which still needs approved by a federal judge, ends a long-running investigation by the Justice Department into Biden's second son, who has acknowledged he has struggled with addiction after the death of his brother, Beau Biden in 2015.
It also means a trial which would have generated days or weeks of distracting headlines for Joe Biden can be avoided. Especially for a White House which has sought to keep its distance from the Justice Department.
It is unusual for a federal criminal case to be resolved at the same time charges are filed in court, though not totally unheard of.
Christopher Clark, a lawyer for Hunter, said in a statement: "Hunter will take responsibility for two instances of misdemeanour failure to file tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement. A firearm charge, which will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement, will also be filed by the government.
"I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life."
In the statement, Mr Clark said it was his understanding the five-year investigation had now been resolved.
"He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward," said Mr Clark.
Sources familiar with the agreement told NBC News that it includes a provision where the US attorney has agreed to recommend probation for the tax violations. Legal experts said the tax and gun charges are unlikely to result in jail time for the president's son.
The decision was made by US Attorney David Weiss, who was nominated by then President Trump in 2018.
A judge is set to schedule an arraignment date within the next several weeks. Hunter Biden is expected to surrender to Delaware authorities and will be processed there by US Marshals.
The news comes as congressional Republicans pursue their own investigations into nearly every aspect of Hunter Biden's business dealings, including examining foreign payments and other elements of his finances.
Joe Biden has also faced questions about his son's business dealings and drug addiction. "The President and First Lady love their son and support him as he continues to rebuild his life," the White House counsel's office said in a statement.
The gun charges states that Hunter Biden possessed a handgun, a Cold Cobra 38 special, despite knowing he was a drug user for 11 days in October 2018.
The count carries a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, but the Justice Department says Hunter Biden has reached a pretrial agreement on that charge.
