Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison on federal gun charges

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Politics got Hunter Biden his plea deal and ended it: Kerri Kupec Urbahn

FOX News legal editor Kerri Kupec Urbahn breaks down Hunter Biden’s indictment on three gun charges and the ‘challenging position’ it puts President Biden in.

President Biden's son, Hunter Biden, was indicted Thursday on federal firearm charges and could face up to 25 years in prison, according to court documents.

Biden is facing three criminal counts, including making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm, which carries a maximum of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release, the documents show.

The second count, a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer, can garner up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.

HUNTER BIDEN INDICTED ON FEDERAL GUN CHARGES

Hunter Biden was indicted on federal firearms charges Thursday. (Brian Lawless/PA Images via Getty Images)

The third count, possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, can land up to a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release, according to the documents. 

The counts combine to carry a maximum of 25 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. Special counsel David Weiss, a Donald Trump appointee, has overlooked the investigation.

The president's son faces up to 25 years in prison from the gun charges. (Getty images)

Hunter Biden's charges follow his collapsed plea agreement in July. At the time, he was expected to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax as part of a plea deal to avoid jail time on a felony gun charge.

The news of the charges come amid a formal impeachment inquiry into President Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday said House Republicans have "uncovered serious and credible allegations into President Biden's conduct" that will serve as the basis of an impeachment inquiry. 

"Today, I am directing our House committees to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden," McCarthy announced at the Capitol Tuesday. "This logical next step will give our committees the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public." 

Hunter Biden arrives at the Independence County Courthouse in Batesville, Arkansas on Monday, May 1, 2023. Biden, who is with with attorney Abbe Lowell, has been ordered to appear in court regarding child support for his unacknowledged 4-year-old-daughter. (Mega for Fox News Digital)

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Hunter Biden's attorney, Abbe Lowell, blasted Republicans on Thursday over what he said is "improper and partisan interference in this process" after the charges were revealed.

"As expected, prosecutors filed charges today that they deemed were not warranted just six weeks ago following a five-year investigation into this case," Lowell said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital. "The evidence in this matter has not changed in the last six weeks, but the law has and so has MAGA Republicans’ improper and partisan interference in this process."

"Hunter Biden possessing an unloaded gun for 11 day [sic] was not a threat to public safety, but a prosecutor, with all the power imaginable, bending to political pressure presents a grave threat to our system of justice," he continued. "We believe these charges are barred by the agreement the prosecutors made with Mr. Biden, the recent rulings by several federal courts that this statute is unconstitutional, and the facts that he did not violate that law, and we plan to demonstrate all of that in court."

Fox News' Brooke Singman and David Spunt contributed to this report.