A jury on Tuesday found Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, guilty of charges related to purchasing a firearm while using and being addicted to illegal drugs.
His three felony charges include making false statements when buying a firearm, making a false statement about required record information, and possessing a firearm as an illegal drug user.
The verdict came after three hours of jury deliberation on Tuesday. Jurors received brief instructions in the morning, and the possibility of a hung jury was considered.
Hunter Biden, 54, could face up to 25 years in prison and $750,000 in fines. However, as a first-time, non-violent offender, he might receive a lighter sentence that doesn’t involve prison.
The jury of six men and six women was dismissed late Monday afternoon, about an hour after starting deliberations on the case involving allegations that Hunter Biden lied on a federal background form about his drug addiction to buy a handgun in 2018.
On Tuesday morning, only Hunter Biden’s second wife, Melissa Cohen Biden, attended the trial, unlike the previous days when other Biden family members and friends were present. First Lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden’s stepmother, arrived at the courthouse after the verdict was delivered.
Hunter Biden did not testify during the trial, despite speculation that he might.
The defense rested their case Monday morning on the sixth day of the trial at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Delaware, with many Biden family and friends showing support.
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell argued that at the time Biden filled out the federal form, he did not consider himself an addict and that the federal government did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hunter Biden intentionally broke the law.
A 2023 study highlights that millions of Americans are addicted to alcohol or drugs, and many more are affected by the addiction of a family member or friend, impacting everyday life.
Federal prosecutors concluded their case on Friday morning after emotional testimony from Hunter Biden’s daughter, Naomi Biden, who spoke about her father’s past drug addiction.
“Choices have consequences, and that’s why we’re here,” prosecutor Derek Hines said during closing arguments on Monday. “We wouldn’t be here in this courtroom” if Hunter Biden had only smoked crack.
