Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, faces three criminal charges for lying when purchasing a firearm, after his defense team failed to reach a deal with prosecutors that would involve a plea to the crime in exchange for a lesser penalty.
The criminal charges against Biden's son are the first of their kind to be issued against a son of a sitting U.S. president.
A planned plea deal to resolve the charges related to firearms and taxes collapsed unexpectedly last July.
The three charges involve allegations that Biden, 53, lied on forms to purchase a firearm while he was a drug addict.

The court documents stated that Biden Jr. provided false information in mandatory federal documents while purchasing a Colt Cobra Special revolver from a gun store in Delaware in October 2018.

Prosecutors alleged that Hunter Biden falsely claimed that he "was not using illicit drugs or addicted to such drugs" at the time of purchasing the firearm.
The defendant kept the gun for 11 days. The investigation into the case began after his then-girlfriend disposed of the .38 caliber revolver in a trash bin behind a grocery store.
The Justice Department stated in a related announcement that if convicted, Biden's son faces a prison sentence of up to 25 years. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.
However, it is still unclear whether the president's son will appear in court during the initial stages of the proceedings.
Abby Lowell, Hunter Biden's attorney, stated that the charges against his client were affected by "improper partisan interference from Republicans in this process".
He added that his client "did not violate the law" and that his possession of an unloaded gun for a short period never constituted a threat to public safety.

Lowell also said: "But the attorney general's submission, with all possible powers, to political pressure poses a serious threat to our justice system".
At the time of purchasing the firearm, Biden was heavily using cocaine.
U.S. federal laws criminalize lying when filling out such documents or possessing a firearm while using drugs.
Biden Jr. previously admitted to the charges against him during negotiations for an uncompleted plea deal, which was a two-part agreement that was supposed to be finalized between prosecutors and the defendant's defense team.
Under the terms of that agreement, Biden Jr. was supposed to face two misdemeanor charges for failing to pay taxes owed in 2017 and 2018.
The failed agreement stipulated that Hunter Biden would acknowledge unlawful firearm possession and agree to drug treatment and monitoring to avoid a felony charge and the possibility of imprisonment.
However, U.S. District Judge Marilyn Norieka declined to "approve the deal," stressing that the proposed resolution for the firearms-related crime was "unusual".
This is the first set of charges brought by special prosecutor David Weiss against the president's son, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland last August to investigate the case.
Weiss previously stated that he plans to formally charge President Biden's son on September 29.
The allegations of legal wrongdoing faced by the youngest son of President Joe Biden have become a political lightning rod for President Biden as he seeks a second term, even though his son Hunter has not held any position in the White House or in his father’s administration.
Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives announced the opening of an official inquiry into President Joe Biden's impeachment.
Among the allegations against Father Biden is that he lied about his involvement in deals with companies benefiting his son while serving as vice president from 2009 to 2017.
Two tax investigators also claimed that the Justice Department obstructed the investigation into Hunter Biden's tax filings, a claim the department denied.
Via X, formerly Twitter, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer - the man leading the indictment investigation - stated that the charges against Hunter Biden were "very small beginnings".
He added: "But once special prosecutor David Weiss begins investigating all involved in the schemes of fraud and influence peddling, it will be clear that President Biden's Justice Department is protecting Hunter Biden and the big guy.