WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Hunter Biden was found guilty of all three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018 when, prosecutors argued that he lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by denying illegal drug use or addiction.
Displaying little emotion, Hunter Biden received the verdict with a straight stare as the jurors deliberated for three hours over two days. After the verdict was read, he hugged his lawyers, smiled slightly, and kissed his wife, Melissa, before leaving the courtroom with her.
He could face up to 25 years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, although first-time offenders usually receive less than the maximum sentence. It remains uncertain if he will be given any jail time. The sentencing date has not been set by the judge.
“No one in this country is above the law,” stated special counsel David Weiss, the prosecutor leading the lengthy federal investigation into Hunter Biden, after the verdict.
First lady Jill Biden, who attended most of the trial, arrived at the courthouse shortly after the jury reached a verdict. She was not present in the courtroom when the verdict was announced. Hunter Biden left the courthouse holding hands with the first lady and his wife, without speaking to reporters, and they left in waiting SUVs.
Following the announcement of the verdict, President Joe Biden stated that he would respect the outcome of the case and “will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.” The president expressed pride in Hunter, who has been sober since 2019.
“Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support. Nothing will ever change that,” the president said in a statement.
In a written statement after the verdict, Hunter Biden expressed disappointment with the outcome but thanked his family and friends for their support. His attorney mentioned that they will continue to pursue all legal challenges available.
The jurors found Hunter Biden guilty of lying to a federally licensed gun dealer by falsely claiming on the application that he was not a drug user and illegally possessing the gun for 11 days.
Now, Hunter Biden and Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, have both been convicted by American juries in an election year marked by courtroom proceedings as much as campaign events and rallies.
Joe Biden did not attend the federal courthouse in Delaware where his son was tried and remained largely silent on the case, avoiding any appearance of interference in a criminal matter pursued by his own Justice Department. However, allies of the Democrat have expressed concern over the impact the trial, and now the conviction, may have on the 81-year-old, who has long been focused on his only living son’s health and ongoing sobriety.
Both Hunter Biden and Trump have maintained that they were influenced by the politics of the moment. While Trump continues to falsely claim the verdict was “rigged,” Joe Biden has stated that he will accept the verdict and will not seek a pardon for his son.
The verdict was delivered shortly before the president was scheduled to address his administration’s efforts to combat gun violence at a conference hosted by the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund in Washington.
Hunter Biden’s legal troubles are far from over. He is set to face trial in September in California on charges of failing to pay $1.4 million in taxes, while congressional Republicans have indicated their intention to continue pursuing him in their stalled impeachment effort against the president. President Joe Biden has not been accused or charged with any wrongdoing by prosecutors in the investigation into his son.
Throughout the trial, prosecutors focused on highlighting the severity of Hunter Biden’s drug addiction through personal testimonies and incriminating evidence.
Jurors heard testimonies from Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and a former girlfriend about his consistent crack use and their unsuccessful attempts to assist him in getting clean. They were shown images of the president’s son shirtless and disheveled in a dirty room, as well as partially dressed while holding crack pipes. The jurors also viewed footage of his crack cocaine being weighed on a scale.
Although Hunter Biden did not testify, jurors heard his voice in audio excerpts of his 2021 memoir, “Beautiful Things,” where he discusses hitting rock bottom after the 2015 death of his brother, Beau, and his subsequent spiral into drugs before achieving sobriety.
Prosecutors believed this evidence was crucial in proving that Hunter, 54, was deep in addiction when he purchased the gun, and therefore lied when he answered “no” to the question on the form about being “an unlawful user of, or addicted to” drugs.
Hunter Biden’s legal team argued that at the time of purchasing the gun, he did not consider himself an “addict.” They aimed to demonstrate that he was making efforts to turn his life around, having completed a rehabilitation program in late August 2018. The defense called three witnesses, including Hunter’s daughter Naomi, who testified that his condition seemed to be improving in the weeks leading up to the gun purchase.
The trial took place in the president’s home state, where Hunter Biden was raised and where the family has deep roots. Joe Biden served 36 years as a senator in Delaware, commuting daily to Washington, and Beau Biden was the state attorney general.
Last year, Hunter Biden hoped to resolve a long-standing federal investigation through a plea deal with prosecutors that would have avoided a trial so close to the 2024 election. The proposed deal would have seen him plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses and avoid prosecution in the gun case if he stayed out of trouble for two years.
However, the deal fell through after Noreika, who was nominated by Trump, raised concerns about certain aspects of the agreement, leading to a deadlock between the lawyers on resolving the matter.
Attorney General Merrick Garland then appointed top investigator Weiss, Delaware’s U.S. attorney, as a special counsel last August, and a month later Hunter Biden was indicted.
Hunter Biden claims he was charged because the Justice Department succumbed to pressure from Republicans who alleged that the Democratic president’s son was receiving special treatment.
The incident involving the revolver came to light because Hallie Biden, Beau’s widow, discovered it unloaded in Hunter’s truck on Oct. 23, 2018. In a panic, she discarded it in a garbage can at a grocery store, where it was retrieved by a man who accidentally retrieved it from the trash. Hallie testified about this incident in court.
Subsequently, Hallie Biden, who had a romantic relationship with Hunter following Beau’s death, reported the gun to the police. The officers recovered the gun from the man who had retrieved it along with other items from the trash. The case was eventually closed due to Hunter Biden’s lack of cooperation, as he was considered the victim.
Reported by Richer and Long from Washington. Associated Press writer Mike Catalini in Wilmington contributed to this report.
