Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, has been convicted on three federal felony gun charges by a federal jury.
The charges stem from an incident in October 2018, when Hunter Biden purchased a revolver at a Delaware gun shop.
The jury, which deliberated for nearly three hours, found Hunter Biden guilty of lying about his drug use on a federal background check form and possessing a firearm while addicted to or using illegal drugs.
This conviction marks a historic moment as it is the first time a president’s immediate family member has been found guilty of a crime during their father’s term in office, although Hunter Biden’s offences occurred before Joe Biden became president.
Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000 at sentencing, though as a first-time offender, he is likely to receive a lesser sentence. Sentencing is expected to occur within 120 days.
Prosecutors, led by special counsel David Weiss, argued successfully that Hunter Biden’s actions violated laws meant to prevent drug addicts from owning firearms.
Despite the defence team’s efforts to argue that Hunter did not view himself as a user or addict at the time of the purchase, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict on all charges.
The conviction concludes a chapter of the ongoing Justice Department investigation into Hunter Biden, which began in 2018. He is set to face another trial in September for federal tax offences.
Both cases have been managed by David Weiss, previously appointed by President Trump, whose team has denied any political motivations behind the prosecution.
Despite the legal turmoil, President Biden and the White House have consistently ruled out a pardon for Hunter Biden.
