CNN’s Kara Scannell said Thursday that the charges against Hunter Biden are “serious” after he was indicted on three gun charges.
Hunter was indicted Thursday on three felony gun charges in Delaware, according to a partially redacted court filing by special counsel David Weiss. Biden is charged with providing false statements and knowingly possessing a gun while he was addicted to drugs in connection to his acquisition of a revolver in 2018. He faces a maximum of 10 years for the first and third offenses, and five tears for the second, according to a defendant information sheet.
Scannell first laid out what the three charges are.
“So, a three count indictment, of felony charges, these are serious charges,” she said. “Now, Jim, as you mentioned, he did have a deal that would have allowed him to avoid prosecution on a gun possession charge. That collapsed under scrutiny by a federal judge. Now, Hunter Biden’s lawyers have argued that this agreement they struck was binding and that the prosecutors could not bring other charges. So clearly something that they’re appearing like they’re going to fight in this case.” (RELATED: Here’s The Exact Moment Hunter Biden’s Hidden Immunity Deal Imploded)
“I’ve reached out to Hunter Biden’s criminal attorney, I have not heard back since this indictment has hit the docket but certainly very serious charges,” she said again. “This possession charge carries a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison, though that is rarely what a defendant is sentenced to because often these charges do accompany another crime and that is not what we’re seeing in this case.”
Scannell then noted that Weiss is still investigating potential tax charges, arguing that Thursday’s indictment “is not the end of the road for Hunter Biden as far as potential criminal charges.”
“But he is facing three criminal counts today, Jim. Pretty serious charges.”
Hunter was slated to plead guilty in July to two tax misdemeanors and sign a diversion agreement to avoid jail time in relation to the felony gun charge. The plea deal collapsed after the judge scrutinized the apparent immunity it provided.