A jury in Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday found Hunter Biden guilty on all three gun charges he faced.
Prosecutor Leo Wise said in his closing arguments on Monday: "The central issue in this case, and that is the evidence has established beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant was an unlawful user of and addicted to a controlled substance when he bought the gun on Oct. 12, 2018, during the period when he possessed it from Oct. 12 to Oct. 23, and for more than six months after."
Tuesday's verdict was based on and provided a stunning validation of the Hunter Biden laptop which had been depicted by the U.S. Intelligence Community as Russian disinformation in the weeks before the 2020 election.
Joe Biden, who said he would "accept the outcome" of the trial, changed his plans following the verdict and was set to travel to Wilmington after speaking at a gun safety event in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday afternoon.
Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign National Press Secretary, said in a statement: “This trial has been nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family, which has raked in tens of millions of dollars from China, Russia and Ukraine. Crooked Joe Biden’s reign over the Biden Family Criminal Empire is all coming to an end on November 5th, and never again will a Biden sell government access for personal profit."
Trump White House adviser Stephen Miller posted on X: "The gun charges are a giant misdirection. An easy op for DOJ to sell to a pliant media that is all too willing to be duped. Don’t be gaslit. This is all about protecting Joe Biden and only Joe Biden."
Tennessee Republican Sen. Bill Hagerty posted on X: "Biden DOJ is trying to distract Americans from the $20 million the Biden family raked in from China, Russia, Ukraine, etc. Can Joe Biden explain what the money was for?"
Former Trump White House official Garrett Ziegler, whose Marco Polo group maintains on online database of the Hunter Biden laptop, posted on social media: "Guilty. Not surprising. … Remember guys, this isn't even the most important trial. That comes in September. I will be there every day in LA. Remember -- the goal is to make this AFTER Nov 5th through WHATEVER means necessary. Pardons have a stench, the plan has always been to COMMUTE the sentence."
Hunter Biden's tax charges case is set to begin on Sept. 5 in California.
During the trial, evidence was presented from the laptop and other electronic devices showing an April 2018 photo of drugs, as well as text messages about using drugs in the days after he purchased the firearm.
According to Juror 10, who spoke with CNN following the verdict, the jury was initially split on Hunter Biden's guilt.
The jury was 6-6 on Monday in their first vote. Earlier Tuesday, the vote was 11-1, with the sole holdout questioning one element of one charge.
Voting later on Tuesday, the juror said the jury was unanimous in their guilty verdict on all three counts.
"The Bidens are going down in the history books with the inaugural felony conviction of a First Family member," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement. "Unlike former President Trump, Hunter Biden received a fair trial. This guilty verdict is an important first step towards accountability for Biden family corruption."
Fitton added: "The public would do well to remember that the Justice Department was dragged kicking and screaming into this prosecution of Hunter. Judicial Watch’s successful Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation, exposing federal special protection and the cover-up of Hunter Biden’s gun scandal, shows how this case could have been brought years ago."
Hunter Biden, 54, was found guilty of making false statements while purchasing a firearm, making false statements regarding information kept by federal firearms licensed dealers, and unlawful possession of a firearm. He claimed not to be using drugs at the time of the purchase, but evidence showed that he did in the months prior.
"I am more grateful today for the love and support I experienced this last week from Melissa, my family, my friends, and my community than I am disappointed by the outcome. Recovery is possible by the grace of God, and I am blessed to experience that gift one day at a time," Hunter Biden said in a statement following the verdict.
"We are naturally disappointed by today’s verdict. We respect the jury process, and as we have done throughout this case, we will continue to vigorously pursue all the legal challenges available to Hunter. Through all he has been through in his recovery, including this trial, Hunter has felt grateful for and blessed by the love and support of his family," Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell said in a statement following the verdict.
Hunter Biden faces a total maximum prison time of 25 years for the three charges. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 and three years of supervised release. Hunter Biden, however, is a first-time offender, making it unlikely he will face maximum penalties when he is sentenced at a later date.
