(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden's son Hunter was indicted on federal charges that he purchased a firearm without disclosing that he was unlawfully using drugs, thrusting his legal problems further into the spotlight as the president ramps up his re-election campaign.
The charges Thursday follow the collapse of a deal in July by which Hunter Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax crimes and to acknowledge a firearms violation without a conviction. But the deal, which involved no jail time, imploded when a federal judge questioned its terms and refused to sign off on it.
The investigation into Biden continues by the special counsel and additional charges are possible, including for tax violations in California and Washington D.C., according to a person familiar with the matter. The indictment, filed in federal court in Delaware, does not include tax charges.
Read More: Hunter Biden Plea Deal in Limbo After Judge Questions Terms
Biden is charged with three counts related to his purchase of a Colt revolver in October 2018, while allegedly falsely stating on a form he was “not an unlawful user of, and addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance.” The felonies carry maximum sentences between five and 10 years in prison.
Special Counsel David Weiss's indictment means Hunter Biden could go on trial in the heat of next year's presidential race and will almost certainly be used as a weapon by Donald Trump and conservatives in his bid to regain the White House. House Republicans have already opened an impeachment inquiry against Joe Biden based in large part on Hunter's business dealings.
Abbe Lowell, a lawyer for Biden, didn't immediately return a voicemail and email seeking comment. The Department of Justice and the White House declined to comment.
Read More: Hunter Biden Probe Widens With Special Counsel Appointment
The indictment follows Weiss's appointment as a special counsel in August, a move intended to remove him from day-to-day oversight from Biden administration officials. Attorney General Merrick Garland had said the “extraordinary circumstances” of the investigation warranted the move.
Weiss was given broad powers to investigate other potential offenses, including Hunter Biden's foreign lobbying and business dealings in Ukraine and China.
When the plea deal fell apart, prosecutors had also said they were withdrawing the tax charges because Delaware wasn't where the alleged crimes had occurred. As of Thursday, there were no new cases filed against Hunter Biden in Washington or central California — the districts where the Justice Department had indicated they were considering indicting him.
Although the president's son was prepared to plead guilty to the tax and gun offenses, he has denied any other wrongdoing. In fact, while the criminal investigation was pending, he went on the offensive, filing civil claims over the release of his personal data and sending a cease-and desist letter to Trump over the former president's public comments about him.
Trump, the front-runner for the Republican nomination, faces his own legal jeopardy after being indicted on multiple counts in four cases, including for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election and mishandling classified documents.
--With assistance from Patricia Hurtado.
(Updates with more details from the indictment and White House, Justice Department comments.)
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