Hunter Biden, the son of US President Joe Biden, was found guilty on Tuesday of lying about drug use to illegally buy guns. This conviction could be used by Democrats to counter Donald Trump’s claim that the justice system is against him. The jury of the federal court in Wilmington in the federal state of Delaware found him guilty on all three counts of the indictment.
Hunter Biden became the first child of the current president of the USA to be convicted of a crime. The verdict of the 12-member jury must be unanimous on each count. The trial included testimony from Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, ex-girlfriend, and sister-in-law, who gave first-hand accounts of his growing addiction in the weeks before and after he bought a gun in October 2018. Prosecutors also showed text messages, photos, and bank records they said showed Biden was addicted to drugs when he bought the gun and knowingly broke the law by lying on the form.
The sentencing guidelines for gun-related charges against Biden are 15 to 21 months, but legal experts say defendants in similar cases often receive shorter sentences and are less likely to be incarcerated if they comply with pretrial release conditions. This conviction will not affect Trump’s impeachment case as it was initiated by David Weiss, a special prosecutor appointed by Trump who charged Hunter Biden with three felonies and six misdemeanor tax violations in California between 2016 and 2019 while spending millions on drugs, exotic cars and other expensive things.
