Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, has been charged with failure to pay his federal income tax obligations and illegal firearm possession. He has also reached a settlement with the Department of Justice, as stated in a document submitted to the U.S. District Court in Delaware. The terms of the settlement, disclosed on Tuesday, stipulate that Hunter Biden will accept guilt for minor tax infractions, and is anticipated to finalize a deal with the prosecution regarding the major felony charge of possessing a firearm while using drugs. This agreement concludes a prolonged examination by the Department of Justice into Joe Biden’s younger son, who has publicly admitted to battling addiction following the death of his sibling Beau Biden in 2015. The resolution also circumvents a trial that could have led to a string of unwanted headlines for the Biden family.

Weeks after the 2020 presidential election, Hunter disclosed that he was the subject of a tax probe. He declared at the time that he took the situation “very seriously” and was “confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisors.”

Christopher Clark, Hunter Biden’s attorney, stated in a press release that his understanding was that the five-year investigation had been put to rest. Clark stated: “I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life,”… “He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”