Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, has been found guilty and criminally convicted on three charges.
A Delaware jury found the 54-year-old lied about his personal history of drug use when he bought a gun in 2018, which is illegal in the U.S. state.
Hunter Biden has become the first child of a sitting President to be found guilty of committing a crime.
In response to the verdict, President Biden said: “We are so proud of the man he is today.”
Who is Hunter Biden?
Hunter Biden is a lawyer, businessman, and son of the U.S. President. His older brother Beau, President Biden’s other son, died of brain cancer in 2015.
In his 2021 memoir ‘Beautiful Things’, Hunter detailed his history of illicit substance and alcohol use, and mental ill-health.
In a statement, Joe Biden said: “So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery.”
Gun purchase
Federal prosecutors started investigating Hunter Biden in 2018. They found he had lied during a background check to purchase a gun in the U.S. state of Delaware, which is illegal.
He denied his history of illicit substance use, specifically crack cocaine, to pass the mandatory screening process in 2018.
Hunter’s lawyers argued he never used the gun, and discarded it in a public bin 11 days after he bought it.
Trial
Prosecutors called on witnesses, including some of Hunter’s former partners, who testified about his past drug use.
The jury also heard audio recordings of extracts from Hunter’s memoir, where he admits to using drugs and details his experiences of addiction.
The prosecution’s evidence also included bank statements, text messages, photos, videos, and laboratory drug test results.
Verdict
The 12-member jury declared Hunter Biden was guilty of three criminal acts relating to getting and owning a gun. The charges carry up to 25 years imprisonment and fines of up to $US750,000 ($AU1.13 million).
After the verdict, lead prosecutor David Weiss said: “The combination of guns and drugs made [Hunter’s] conduct dangerous”.
Judge Maryellen Noreika told the court she would hand down a sentence within four months.
Biden response
After the verdict was handed down, President Biden released a statement saying “I am the President, but I am also a Dad.
“Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today.
“I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.“
Hunter later shared a statement saying he was “disappointed” with the outcome, but felt “grateful” for the support of his wife and family.
Other trial
Hunter is also facing a separate tax evasion trial in the state of California.
Prosecutors allege he did not pay $US1.4 million ($AU2.1 million) in taxes, which he later paid back.
Hunter’s lawyers attempted to reach a deal with the Department of Justice to avoid him having to face criminal charges. However, the deal later broke down, paving the way for a criminal trial.
