Hunter Biden Found Guilty Of Three Federal Gun Charges

On Tuesday, a Wilmington, Delaware, jury convicted Hunter Biden on three felony gun charges. These charges stem from his purchase of a handgun in October 2018, during which he lied about his illegal drug use on the required paperwork. This conviction marks the first time a sitting U.S. president’s child has been found guilty of a felony in a criminal trial.

The jury delivered a unanimous verdict after three hours of deliberations. Last week, President Joe Biden announced that he would not pardon his son if found guilty.

The federal gun charges relate to Biden’s purchase of a Colt revolver at a Wilmington gun shop in 2018. Prosecutors argued that Biden, then battling a cocaine addiction, falsely claimed on the purchase paperwork that he did not use drugs. It is illegal for drug users to possess guns and to lie on gun-purchasing forms.

Prosecutors stated that Biden possessed the gun for 11 days before his brother’s widow, Hallie Biden, discovered it and discarded it in a trash can outside a high-end grocery store. A man searching for recyclables found the gun and later handed it over to the police.

The trial, which began on June 3, included testimony from three of Biden’s former romantic partners, all of whom recounted his frequent drug use in 2018.

On Friday, Naomi Biden, one of Biden’s daughters, testified for the defense, stating that she saw her father in New York around the time he bought the gun and that he seemed to be doing well.

However, during cross-examination, prosecutor Leo Wise presented text messages between Naomi and her father, revealing that he contacted her around midnight and again at 2 a.m. to retrieve a borrowed truck. In another exchange, Naomi told her father, “I’m really sorry, Dad. I just can’t take this.”

Biden faces a maximum prison sentence of 25 years but is more likely to receive two years or less, or possibly no prison time at all since he is a first-time offender and the crimes involved a single handgun that was never used violently.

Judge Maryellen Noreika, who oversaw the trial, will determine the sentence, which is expected to be delivered in four months.

Biden’s team is expected to appeal the conviction. During pretrial motions, his lawyers argued that the federal law prohibiting drug users from possessing guns was unconstitutional, citing the Supreme Court’s increasingly expansive view of the Second Amendment. Although Judge Noerieka, a Trump appointee, dismissed the argument, Biden’s team is likely to revisit it on appeal.

Biden’s verdict arrives just weeks ahead of his father’s first presidential debate, set for June 27. During the debate, President Biden will confront another newly convicted felon, former president Donald Trump.

Following Tuesday’s verdict, the president affirmed his support for his son and acknowledged his respect for the judicial process.

“As I said last week, I am the President, but I am also a Dad. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery.”

“As I also said last week,” added the President, “I will accept the outcome of his case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”

Biden also faces criminal charges for allegedly failing to timely pay more than $1.4 million in taxes. His trial for that case is scheduled to begin in September in Los Angeles.