Hunter Biden was found guilty today of three felonies in his gun crimes trial in Delaware.
The jury in Wilmington, Delaware voted unanimously to convict Joe Biden’s son of two counts of lying on a federal form to purchase a gun, and one count of possessing the firearm while abusing drugs.
This historic conviction marks the first time the child of a current president has been found guilty of a crime.
Hunter nodded slowly in resignation as the guilty verdict was read.
After the jury left, he hugged his lawyers, kissed his wife Melissa, who gave him a tight smile, and left the room like a convicted felon.
He will now wait for Judge Maryellen Noreika to decide on a sentence for the crimes, which could carry up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine – although the typical sentence is much lower.
Hunter Biden, son of US President Joe Biden, accompanied by his wife Melissa Cohen Biden, arrives at the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Delaware on June 11, 2024
An image from Hunter Biden’s laptop shows the president’s son naked and with a gun next to him
The judge said sentencing dates are typically discussed “20 days after sentencing.”
The smiling prosecutors said they had no comment.
The jury reached its historic verdict after just three hours of deliberation – one yesterday and two today before reaching their verdict at 11am on Tuesday.
Some of those convicted of his crimes receive no prison time. In a recent conviction for similar crimes, Judge Noreika sentenced another defendant to one year in prison.
The court’s probation office will now prepare an investigation report, which will include information that the judge will use when considering his sentence.
Judge Noreika is not required to follow sentencing guidelines, but cannot impose more than the statutory maximum sentence.
Hunter’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, has already filed an objection to the case on several grounds and has previously indicated he will appeal any conviction.
He argues that there is a Second Amendment challenge to the conviction, and that Congress effectively repealed one of the statutes under which Hunter was charged when they updated it in 2022, overturning his conviction.
Even convicts who ultimately end up in prison can remain out of jail for several months or longer while they await sentencing or while their cases are tied up on appeal.
The Colt Cobra revolver that Hunter Biden purchased on October 12, 2018
Hunter Biden’s hard drive, which was left at a repair shop and leaked to conservative media, also contained images of the president’s son smoking from a crack pipe
Hunter’s former business partner Devon Archer was convicted of $60 million fraud against a Native American tribe in 2018 and has yet to step into a prison cell due to legal wrangling.
If Hunter is in prison during the November 2024 presidential election, he will not be able to vote for his father.
In California, where Hunter lives, currently incarcerated felons cannot vote.
The jury began its deliberations shortly after 3:30 PM on Monday.
They called it a day at 4:30 PM and resumed weighing the suitcase at 9 AM on Tuesday.
Criminal First Son’s legal troubles are far from over.
He faces a tax crime trial in September by the same prosecutors, Leo Wise and Derek Hines, who work for special counsel David Weiss.
First Lady Jill Biden attended the trial to support her stepson
Hunter Biden and Hallie Biden, his brother’s widow, with whom Hunter had a romantic relationship
He is charged with nine counts, including three felonies and six misdemeanors, of tax evasion, failing to file and pay his taxes, and filing a fraudulent tax return.
The charges cover tax years 2016 through 2019 and are considered more serious than his gun crimes.
His backer, Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris, has said he is running out of money to fund Hunter’s legal team on the case.
And his defense will become even more complicated if he fights it from a federal prison.
Legal experts have pointed to a recent sentencing decision by Judge Noreika as a potential barometer for Hunter’s sentence.
Hunter and Melissa Biden arrive hand-in-hand for closing arguments in the gun case in which the president’s son is charged with three felonies for lying about his drug addiction on a federal form
On May 2, she sentenced Maryland man Zhi Dong to a year in prison for lying about his address on the same federal gun purchase forms.
Dong pleaded guilty, which often leads to a lesser sentence.
However, the sentencing guidelines recommend higher penalties for crimes involving three or more weapons.
And Dong’s case probably also involved more serious behavior.
In their memo, prosecutors said he took the guns he bought in Delaware to a gun shop in California, which they said was “indicative of firearms trafficking” — though they noted he was not “the brains of the operation ‘ used to be.
The government recommended six months, but Judge Noreika gave him double that, Politico first reported earlier this month.