US President's son Hunter Biden convicted of lying about drug use to buy gun

YEREVAN, JUNE 12, ARMENPRESS. US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden was convicted by a jury on Tuesday of lying about his illegal drug use to buy a gun, making him the first child of a sitting U.S. president to be convicted of a crime, Reuters reports.

A 12-member jury in Wilmington, Delaware - the Bidens' hometown - found the defendant guilty on all three counts against him.

After about three hours of deliberation, the jurors found Hunter Biden falsely claimed to be free of illegal drugs when he filled out a government screening document for a Colt Cobra revolver in 2018 and then illegally possessed the weapon, the report adds.

While President Biden did not attend the trial in Delaware, many family members including First Lady Jill Biden did so regularly. Hunter Biden’s wife, sister and uncle were all present at times to support him during proceedings.

Text messages detailing his addiction and photographs, some showing a half-naked Hunter Biden, were also shown to the court, according to BBC.

The date for sentencing has not been set, but it usually happens within 120 days. He faces up to 25 years in prison, but legal experts say it is highly unlikely the eventual sentence will be close to that given he is a first time, non-violent offender.

Joe Biden issued a statement saying he accepted the outcome of the case and would respect the judicial process as his son considers an appeal.

“I am the president, but I am also a dad,” Biden added.

Hours after the verdict, Hunter and his wife and son met the president's helicopter when it landed at a Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle. The president embraced his son and hugged and kissed his daughter-in-law and grandchild.

The trial took place against the background of a Nov. 5 election pitting Democrat Joe Biden against his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, who was himself found guilty at a landmark New York state trial last month, making him the first US president to be found guilty of a felony.