Hunter Biden found guilty of felony gun charges

Hunter Biden, President Biden’s son, departs from nan J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building connected Monday successful Wilmington, Del., aft jurors began deliberations successful his proceedings connected felony weapon charges. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

A national assemblage successful Delaware has convicted President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, connected felony weapon charges stemming from his acquisition of a Colt revolver successful 2018 erstwhile he was addicted to ace cocaine.

The verdict, handed down aft 3 hours of deliberations, capped a weeklong proceedings successful national tribunal successful Wilmington, Del. The assemblage recovered Hunter Biden blameworthy connected 2 counts of making mendacious statements astir his supplier usage erstwhile he bought nan weapon, and 1 count of forbidden possession of a firearm by a supplier personification aliases addict.

This was nan first of 2 cases against Hunter Biden brought by Justice Department typical counsel David Weiss. The president’s boy besides faces taxation charges successful a abstracted prosecution scheduled to spell to proceedings successful September.

The weapon lawsuit was rooted successful a difficult play successful Hunter Biden’s life erstwhile he was reeling aft nan decease of his brother, Beau, successful 2015 and was addicted to ace cocaine and alcohol.

It centers connected nan Colt revolver that nan president’s boy bought astatine a weapon shop successful Wilmington successful October 2018. It was thrown distant successful a trash rate extracurricular a market shop 11 days later.

Prosecutors said that Hunter Biden lied connected nan national shape each weapon purchaser is required to capable retired erstwhile he declared that he was not utilizing aliases addicted to forbidden drugs.

Over nan people of nan trial, prosecutors group retired to beryllium to nan assemblage that Hunter was a supplier personification astatine nan time, that he knew it and that he lied astir erstwhile he bought nan gun.

Prosecutors called 10 witnesses, including 3 women who were astatine 1 constituent romantically progressive pinch Hunter Biden: his ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle; an ex-girlfriend, Zoe Kestan; and his relative Beau’s widow, Hallie Biden.

Buhle, who was subpoenaed to testify, told nan assemblage astir first discovering her then-husband’s supplier usage erstwhile she recovered a ace tube connected nan structure of their location nan time aft their 22nd wedding anniversary. The mates divided successful 2017.

Kestan and Hallie Biden, some of whom were granted immunity to testify, told jurors they had witnessed Hunter Biden fume ace cocaine arsenic good arsenic bargain it from supplier dealers. Kestan besides testified that she was pinch nan president’s boy successful 2018 erstwhile he was cooking his ain ace from powder cocaine.

Hallie Biden, meanwhile, testified astir really she and Hunter Biden became romantically progressive complete clip pursuing nan decease of her hubby — Hunter’s relative — successful 2017. She told jurors that Hunter had introduced her to crack, and that they smoked it together — a play of her life, she said, that she was embarrassed and ashamed of.

Hunter’s ain words besides factored into nan government’s case. Prosecutors played agelong excerpts from his memoir successful which he describes successful achy item his spiral into addiction.

The authorities besides presented nan assemblage pinch matter messages Hunter Biden sent and received betwixt 2017 and 2019 successful which he talks astir utilizing drugs, buying narcotics and his addiction to crack.

That includes 2 matter messages that he sent conscionable days aft he bought nan gun. In one, he says he’s waiting for a trader named Mookie, and successful different he says he was “sleeping connected a car smoking crack.”

Hunter Biden’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, has not disputed that Hunter Biden was addicted to ace cocaine and alcohol. But he has based on that his customer completed a rehab programme successful August of 2018, and that he did not see himself a supplier personification erstwhile he bought nan weapon connected Oct. 12, 2018 aliases complete nan play that he owned it.

In his closing argument, Lowell accused prosecutors of utilizing sleight of manus to effort to hide what he said were holes successful its case.

Throughout nan trial, Lowell tried to attraction nan jury’s attraction connected a constrictive play of clip — nan 11 days Hunter Biden owned nan weapon earlier Hallie Biden recovered it and threw it successful a trash tin extracurricular a Wilmington market store.

Lowell many times pointed retired that nan authorities has a batch of matter messages from earlier and aft October 2018 successful which Hunter Biden talks astir his supplier usage aliases moreover arranges to bargain narcotics — but not successful October 2018.

The supplier texts nan authorities did nutrient making love to nan play Hunter Biden owned nan weapon Lowell tried to diffuse arsenic thing much than facetious messages his customer sent to Hallie Biden.