12-6-2024 (DELAWARE) A jury has convicted Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, on all three counts in his criminal gun trial held in Delaware federal court on Tuesday morning.
Hunter Biden, aged 54, was found guilty of making a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm, providing false information in a firearms transaction, and possessing a firearm while being a drug user or addict.
The felony charges stem from his acquisition of a Colt Cobra handgun from a Delaware gun store in October 2018, during which he was a user and addict of crack cocaine. Biden, who has acknowledged his struggles with cocaine and alcohol addiction, was accused of lying on a federally mandated form he completed for the purchase, falsely declaring that he was not an unlawful user or addict of narcotic drugs.
Hunter Biden is now the first child of a sitting U.S. president to be tried in a criminal case. He also faces another pending case on federal tax charges in Los Angeles.
This verdict arrives nearly three weeks after former President Donald Trump was convicted in a New York state court of falsifying business records related to a 2016 hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump is set to face President Biden in the upcoming November election.
As the three guilty verdicts were read out, Hunter Biden looked directly at the jury and nodded slightly. The verdict came after eight days of trial and about three hours of jury deliberation.
First Lady Jill Biden, along with Hunter’s aunt Valerie Biden Owens, entered the courtroom following the announcement of the verdict. His wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, was present as the verdict was read.
Later on Tuesday, President Biden flew to Delaware to visit his son, who greeted him at the state’s Air National Guard Base in New Castle.
The trial featured testimony from Hunter’s ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, Hallie Biden, who is the widow of his brother Beau Biden, and another former romantic partner. Hallie Biden testified that she had smoked crack cocaine with Hunter during their relationship and had found the handgun in his car 11 days after its purchase, subsequently discarding it near a grocery store.
In a statement released Tuesday, Hunter Biden expressed his gratitude for the support he received during the trial, saying, “I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome.”
“Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time,” he added.
Jurors began their deliberations on Monday afternoon after closing arguments from prosecutors and Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, and instructions from Judge Maryellen Noreika. Judge Noreika stated that she would set the sentencing date later.
Hunter Biden faces a maximum possible prison sentence of 10 years for two of the felony counts and five years for the third count.
Special counsel David Weiss, whose office prosecuted the case, emphasized in a news conference that the case was about the illegal decisions made by Biden during his addiction. “This case was about the illegal choices the defendant made while in the throes of addiction, his choice to lie on a government form when he bought a gun and the choice to then possess that gun,” Weiss said. “No one in this country is above the law. Everyone must be accountable for their actions, even this defendant. Hunter Biden should be no more accountable than any other citizen convicted of this same conduct.”
Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Lowell, responded to the verdict with a statement expressing disappointment but respect for the jury process, and indicating plans to pursue all legal challenges available to Biden.
President Biden is scheduled to speak about gun control at an event on Tuesday afternoon. In a statement following the conviction, he reiterated his dual roles as President and father, expressing pride in his son’s resilience and commitment to recovery. He also confirmed he would not issue a pardon to Hunter.
Hunter Biden is also charged in Los Angeles federal court for failing to pay taxes on more than $1.4 million in income over several years. This trial is set for September, two months before the presidential election.
Meanwhile, former President Trump faces sentencing in the hush money case on July 11 in Manhattan Supreme Court, where he could receive up to four years in prison for each of the 34 felony counts he was convicted of. Trump also faces additional criminal cases in Washington, D.C., Georgia, and Florida related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and his handling of classified documents.
