Some social media users claim that Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, has been sentenced to prison. But that’s not so.
A photo in a Dec. 19 Facebook post had text that read, “Hunter’s Prison Term Announced – Joe Biden STUNNED.”
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
(Screenshot from Facebook)
Although Hunter Biden has been indicted twice, he has not been convicted of any charges.
The post’s author in the comments section linked to a Dec. 9 Conservative Brief article about Biden’s new federal charges. On Dec. 7, the Justice Department said a federal grand jury indicted Hunter Biden with three felony tax offenses and six misdemeanor tax offenses. He faces a maximum of 17 years in prison if found guilty of these charges.
The Justice Department said Dec. 7 that the investigation into Hunter Biden continues and that a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. He is expected to make his first court appearance on these tax charges in January in Los Angeles.
The indictment alleged that Biden failed to pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes owed for tax years 2016 through 2019. It also accused him of evading tax assessment for tax year 2018.
Biden disclosed in December 2020 that he was under investigation by the Justice Department. He agreed to plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors, but this plea deal collapsed.
In September, Biden was indicted with three felony firearm offenses related to a gun purchase in 2018. The charges included making false statements on a federal firearms form and possessing a firearm while unlawfully using or being addicted to a controlled substance. The Justice Department said Biden faces up to 25 years in prison if found guilty of these charges.
But Biden hasn’t been convicted of any charges. We rate the claim that Biden’s prison term was already announced False.
Truth-o-meter Ruling
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Hunter Biden is facing two indictments, but he has not been convicted of any charges.
Statement
Context
a Facebook postSpeaker/Target
Statement Date
Our Sources
Facebook post (archived), Dec. 19, 2023
Conservative Brief, Hunter Biden Faces Nearly Two Decades Behind Bars Over New Charges, Dec. 9, 2023
Justice Department, Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Robert Hunter Biden with Three Felonies Related to His Purchase of a Firearm, Sept. 14, 2023
Justice Department, Grand Jury Returns Indictment Charging Robert Hunter Biden with Three Felony Tax Offenses and Six Misdemeanor Tax Offenses, Dec. 7, 2023
CNN, Hunter Biden indicted on gun charges, Sept. 15, 2023
Reuters, Hunter Biden to make his initial court appearance on tax charges on Jan. 11, Dec. 18, 2023
The New York Times, A Timeline of Hunter Biden’s Life and Legal Troubles, Dec. 8, 2023
The New York Times, Judge Puts Hunter Biden’s Plea Deal on Hold, Questioning Its Details, July 26, 2023
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