US court indicts Hunter Biden on federal gun charges

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden was indicted on Thursday on three felonies related to the possession of a firearm after efforts to reach a plea agreement failed, as per a court document.

Charges were filed in US District Court in Delaware a few weeks after an unanticipated deal with federal prosecutors fell through.

In response to an initial request for comment, neither the White House nor Hunter Biden's lawyer provided a response.

The 53-year-old son of the president was scheduled to enter a plea in federal court in July on misdemeanour criminal tax charges.

On an unrelated gun allegation, his attorneys and the prosecutors had come to a separate pretrial diversion arrangement, CNBC reported.

However, the strategy failed when the presiding judge questioned the prosecution and Biden's lawyer about the specifics of the arrangement.

Attorney General Merrick Garland's special counsel in charge of Hunter Biden's case, US Attorney David Weiss, hinted earlier in September that an indictment would be brought before the end of the month.