Hunter Biden was found guilty on all three counts in his federal gun trial in Delaware.
The president’s son was charged in a three-count indictment following an investigation by prosecutor David Weiss, who was appointed U.S. attorney by Donald Trump and made special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland. The charges came after a deal fell through last year on both gun and tax allegations. Biden still faces a separate trial for the latter; he pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
Biden was charged with lying on paperwork related to his 2018 purchase of a firearm and his possession of it as a drug user or addict.
NBC News reported that a sentencing date will be set at a later time. The judge, Trump appointee Maryellen Noreika, will impose sentence after hearing arguments from the parties and considering the federal sentencing guidelines, which may call for more than a year in prison, though the judge has discretion in the final determination.
If Biden challenges his sentence on appeal, among the issues he may press is a Second Amendment claim in light of Supreme Court precedent that has expanded gun rights in recent years. In a statement, President Joe Biden said, “I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. 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.” Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for weekly updates on the top legal stories, including news from the Supreme Court, the Donald Trump cases and more.
Jordan Rubin is the Deadline: Legal Blog writer. He was a prosecutor for the New York County District Attorney’s Office in Manhattan and is the author of “Bizarro," a book about the secret war on synthetic drugs. Before he joined MS NOW, he was a legal reporter for Bloomberg Law.
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