WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Hunter Biden was convicted Tuesday of all three felony charges related to the purchase of a revolver in 2018 when, prosecutors argued, the president’s son lied on a mandatory gun-purchase form by saying he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.
Hunter Biden, 54, stared straight ahead and showed little emotion as the verdict was read after jury deliberations that lasted only three hours over two days. He hugged his attorneys, smiled wanly and kissed his wife, Melissa, before leaving the courtroom with her.
President Joe Biden said in a statement issued shortly after the verdict that he would accept the outcome and “continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.”
Hunter Biden faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika, though as a firsttime offender he is unlikely to get anywhere near the maximum, and there’s no guarantee the judge would send him to prison. No sentencing date has been set.
Defense attorney Abbe Lowell said they would “continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available.”
In a written statement, Hunter Biden said he was disappointed by the outcome but grateful for the support of family and friends.
The jury’s decision was read swiftly after the announcement that it reached a verdict. First lady Jill Biden sat through nearly every day of the trial but did not make it into the courtroom in time to hear the verdict. Hunter Biden walked out of the courthouse holding hands with the first lady and his wife before they got into got into waiting SUVs and drove off.
Joe Biden steered clear of the federal courtroom in Delaware where his son was tried and said little about the case, wary of appearing to interfere in a criminal matter brought by his own Justice Department. But allies of the Democrat have worried about the toll that the trial — and now the conviction — will take on the 81-year-old, who has long been concerned with his only living son’s health and sustained sobriety.
Hunter Biden’s conviction came just weeks after former President Donald Trump was found guilty of 34 felony charges related to a hush money payment to a porn actor in the 2016 campaign.
The cases are in no way the same, and Hunter Biden is a private citizen who is not running for office.
But they have both argued they were victimized by the politics of the moment In his statement Tuesday, the president said he and the first lady are proud of their son, who says he has been sober since 2019, and will always be there for him with “love and support.”