President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, was found guilty of all charges in his historical criminal case focused on his 2018 firearm purchase.
The jury deliberated for over three hours between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning.
Hunter Biden was found guilty of making a false statement when he purchased a gun, making a false statement about the information required to be retained by a federally licensed gun dealer, and gun possession by a person who is addicted to or is an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
“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,” said Hunter Biden in a statement after the verdict.
Hunter Biden’s trial this month lasted around six and a half days. It included emotional testimony from family members, including ex-wife Kathleen Buhle, sister-in-law turned girlfriend Hallie Biden, and daughter Naomi Biden.
Prosecutors worked to prove Hunter Biden lied on a federal firearm form, known as ATF Form 4473, in October 2018 when he checked a box labeled “No” when asked if he was addicted to controlled substances or an unlawful user of a firearm. Hunter Biden purchased the gun from a store called StarQuest Shooters & Survival in Wilmington.
The younger Biden pleaded not guilty in the case.
Hunter Biden sat very still while the verdict was read. He appeared motionless and stared ahead with wide eyes as the guilty verdict was announced. Before the verdict, Hunter Biden appeared more upbeat than during trial proceedings during the first week of the trial, flashing a smile at his defense team.
“We are naturally disappointed by today’s verdict. We respect the jury process, and as we have done throughout this case, we will continue to pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter vigorously. Through all he has been through in his recovery, including this trial, Hunter has felt grateful for and blessed by the love and support of his family,” said Lowell in a statement after the verdict.
Hunter Biden faces a maximum prison time of 25 years for the three charges. Additionally, each count carries a maximum fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release. However, since he is a first-time offender, he will unlikely face maximum penalties when sentenced later.
Special Counsel Weiss addressed the media after the verdict Tuesday afternoon when he said the trial centered on Hunter Biden’s “illegal choices,” not just the drug addiction of the first son.
“Ultimately, this case was not just about addiction, a disease that haunts families across the United States, including Hunter Biden’s family. 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 possess that gun then. It was these choices and the combination of guns and drugs that made his conduct dangerous,” said Weiss.
“No one in this country is above the law,” added Weiss, a comment his prosecutors repeated in their opening statement and closing arguments. “Everyone must be accountable for their actions, even this defendant. However, Hunter Biden should be no more accountable than any citizen convicted of this same conduct. The prosecution has been and will continue to be committed to this principle and the principles of federal prosecution in carrying out its responsibilities.”
Hunter Biden has a history of drug abuse that is well-documented, which was most notably documented by Biden himself in his 2021 memoir,” Beautiful Things,” which takes readers through his prior need to smoke crack cocaine every 20 minutes, how his drug addiction was so profuse he referred to himself as a “crack daddy” to drug dealers, with anecdotes around drug deals, like a Washington, D.C., crack dealer nicknamed “Bicycles,” by Biden.
The defense team didn’t dispute Hunter Biden’s lengthy substance abuse history
Hunter Biden’s defense team, led by Lowell, didn’t dispute Hunter Biden’s lengthy history with substance abuse, which also included alcohol addiction, instead argued on the day Hunter Biden purchased the Cobra Colt .38, he didn’t consider himself to be an active drug addict and cited the President’s son’s first rehab stint head of the purchase in October 2018.
However, prosecutors argued Hunter Biden’s crack cocaine addiction happened before, during, and after the handgun purchase. Only a day after the gun purchase, prosecutors showed the court that Hunter had texted Hallie Biden he was “waiting for a dealer named Mookie.” A day following that text, he texted he was “sleeping on a car smoking crack on 4th Street and Rodney” in Wilmington.
The firearm remained in his possession for 11 days before Hallie Biden discovered it in Hunter’s Ford pickup and threw it away in a public trash can outside a Wilmington grocery market. She testified she regretted tossing the firearm and did so because she was “panicked” and worried Biden would use the gun to hurt others or himself.
The first son was joined in court by friends, family, and allies each day—notably his stepmother, Jill Biden, President Biden’s sister, Valerie Biden, and Biden’s sister, Ashley Biden. Hunter Biden was additionally joined by his second wife, Melissa.
The case marks the first time in U.S. history a sitting president’s child was put on trial.
Last week, President Biden said she wouldn’t pardon his son if convicted. The President released a statement after his son was found guilty, saying that while he is the nation’s commander-in-chief, he’s “also a dad.”
“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,” said Biden of his son, Hunter Biden, following the verdict. “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 strong and resilient in recovery.”
“Jill and I will always be there for Hunter and the rest of our family with our love and support,” said Biden. “Nothing will ever change that.”
