US President Joe Biden's son charged with possession of firearms

United States President Joe Biden (right) with his son Hunter Biden (left). (Photo credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)

Washington - The son of President of the United States (US) Joe Biden (80), Hunter Biden (53), was charged on Thursday (14/9/2023) with illegally purchasing a firearm five years ago.

Hunter Biden was charged with two counts of false statements for claiming in documents that he did not illegally consume drugs when he purchased a Colt revolver in Delaware.

The third article imposed on him stated that because of the false statement he possessed the firearm illegally. The charges carry a penalty of 10 years in prison. This is as reported by VOA Indonesia, Friday (15/9).

The indictment was brought by Special Prosecutor David Weiss of the US Department of Justice, who has been investigating Hunter Biden since 2018.

The indictment comes two months after Hunter Biden and Weiss' plea deal, which included charges involving firearms possession and Hunter Biden's tax offenses, failed to materialize due to a dispute over possible additional charges for the president's son. future.

In a preliminary agreement last July, Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to two counts of misdemeanor tax offenses. In return, he will undergo a probationary period, considering that he has paid off his tax debt and fines to the government.

In the same agreement, Weiss agreed to halt criminal charges for possession of firearms, provided Hunter Biden has completed "pretrial diversion" procedures, which usually involve counseling or rehabilitation.

47th President of the United States Joe Biden. (Doc. AFP)

In a dramatic July 26 hearing, the deal fell apart after questions arose about whether Hunter Biden would be immune from possible future impeachment, which Weiss is also investigating, including potential criminal wrongdoing in Hunter's business dealings in Ukraine,China, and others.

The judge raised the possibility that Hunter Biden could be indicted for acting as a lobbyist for a foreign government without registering with the US Department of Justice.

Three weeks later, after that deal failed to materialize, Weiss dropped the tax violation charges against Hunter Biden and indicated that he would file new charges in other states.

He also told a Delaware court that charges for possession of a firearm would be filed in late September.

The legal troubles facing Hunter Biden, who is a Yale University-educated lawyer and lobbyist, are overshadowing the presidential campaign of his father, Joe Biden.

Without presenting evidence, Republicans accused the US Department of Justice under Joe Biden of protecting the president's son and accused Weiss, the Republican's self-appointed special prosecutor, of not seriously investigating Hunter Biden.

Putra Presiden AS Joe Biden Didakwa terkait Kepemilikan Senjata Api

Presiden Amerika Serikat Joe Biden (kanan) bersama putranya Hunter Biden (kiri). (Photo credit: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)

Washington - Putra Presiden Amerika Serikat (AS) Joe Biden (80), Hunter Biden (53), pada Kamis (14/9/2023) didakwa karena membeli senjata api secara ilegal lima tahun lalu.

Hunter Biden didakwa dengan dua pasal pernyataan bohong karena mengklaim dalam sejumlah dokumen bahwa dia tidak mengonsumsi obat-obatan terlarang secara ilegal ketika membeli sebuah pistol revolver Colt di Delaware.

Pasal ketiga yang dikenakan terhadapnya menyatakan bahwa dikarenakan pernyataan bohong itu maka dia memiliki senjata api itu secara ilegal. Dakwaan itu mengandung ancaman hukuman 10 tahun penjara. Demikian seperti dilansir VOA Indonesia, Jumat (15/9).

Dakwaan diajukan oleh Jaksa Khusus David Weiss dari Departemen Kehakiman AS, yang telah menyelidiki Hunter Biden sejak 2018. Dakwaan itu diajukan dua bulan setelah kesepakatan pembelaan (plea deal) Hunter Biden dan Weiss, yang mencakup dakwaan soal kepemilikan senjata api dan pelanggaran pajak Hunter Biden, gagal terwujud karena adanya perselisihan tentang kemungkinan adanya dakwaan tambahan bagi sang putra presiden di masa depan.

Dalam kesepakatan awal Juli lalu, Hunter Biden setuju untuk mengaku bersalah atas dua dakwaan pelanggaran pajak ringan. Sebagai imbalannya, dia akan menjalani masa percobaan, mengingat dia sudah melunasi utang pajak dan dendanya kepada pemerintah.

Pada kesepakatan yang sama, Weiss setuju untuk menghentikan pendakwaan pidana soal kepemilikan senjata api, dengan catatan Hunter Biden sudah menyelesaikan prosedur "pengalihan praperadilan", yang biasanya berupa konseling atau rehabilitasi.

Presiden ke-47 Amerika Serikat Joe Biden. (Dok. AFP)

Dalam sidang 26 Juli yang berlangsung dramatis, kesepakatan itu berantakan setelah timbul pertanyaan apakah Hunter Biden akan kebal dari kemungkinan pendakwaan di masa yang akan datang, yang juga sedang diselidiki oleh Weiss, termasuk potensi tindak pidana dalam transaksi bisnis Hunter di Ukraina, China, dan lainnya.

Hakim menyebut kemungkinan bahwa Hunter Biden bisa didakwa karena bertindak sebagai pelobi bagi pemerintah asing tanpa mendaftarkan diri kepada Departemen Kehakiman AS.

Tiga minggu kemudian, setelah kesepakatan itu gagal terwujud, Weiss membatalkan dakwaan pelanggaran pajak terhadap Hunter Biden dan mengisayaratkan bahwa dia akan mengajukan dakwaan baru di negara bagian lain.

Dia pun mengatakan kepada pengadilan Delaware bahwa dakwaan atas kepemilikan senjata api akan diajukan akhir September.

Masalah hukum yang dihadapi Hunter Biden, yang seorang pengacara dan pelobi lulusan Universitas Yale, membayangi kampanye pilpres ayahnya, Joe Biden.

Tanpa menunjukkan bukti, Partai Republik menuduh Departemen Kehakiman AS pada masa pemerintahan Joe Biden melindungi putra sang presiden dan menuduh Weiss, jaksa khusus yang ditunjuk sendiri oleh kubu Republik, tidak sungguh-sungguh mengusut Hunter Biden.