President Joe Biden’s son is found guilty of lying about his drug use to illegally buy a gun.
Joe Biden’s son has been found guilty of illegally buying a gun after hiding his drug use.
Hunter Biden, 54, was convicted of three firearm charges in the first criminal prosecution of a sitting US president’s offspring.
Prosecutors said he lied on a form when buying a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018 by stating he was not a drug user or addict, despite a problem with crack cocaine.
Biden pleaded not guilty to felony charges that included lying about his addiction when he filled out a government screening document for the revolver and illegally possessing the weapon for 11 days.
First Lady Jill Biden was in the courtroom shortly after the verdicts – which came after the jury deliberated for about three hours – and was seen holding her stepson’s hand as they left.
In a statement following the verdicts, President Biden said he accepted the outcome of the case, as his son considers making an appeal.
The trial included testimony from Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and sister-in-law, who gave accounts of his spiralling addiction in the weeks before and after buying the gun.
Prosecutors also showed text messages, photos and bank records they said showed Biden was deep in the throes of addiction when he bought the gun.
Biden’s lawyers sought to show he was not using drugs when he bought the gun and didn’t intend to deceive, as he didn’t consider himself a drug user at the time.
The defence called Biden’s daughter Naomi who testified her father seemed to be doing well when she saw him shortly before and after he bought the gun.