WILMINGTON, Del. — Federal prosecutors on Hunter Biden’s trial on weapons charges have signaled they may wrap up the trial once a hearing is concluded Thursday, with his eldest son’s sister-in-law and girlfriend, Hallie Biden, still waiting to testify as a witness.
Hallie, the widow of Hunter’s late brother, Beau, is expected to provide more details about her ex-boyfriend’s drug use and also give her version of events surrounding the Oct. 23, 2018, incident in which Hunter threw a .38-caliber Colt Cobra revolver that he had purchased 11 days earlier in a trash can outside a Wilmington supermarket.
But before Harry is called to testify, Thursday’s hearing is scheduled to begin with the defense’s cross-examination of Gordon Cleveland, who sold the weapon to Hunter.
Cleveland, who left his part-time job at StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply in 2021 and now works as a garbage truck driver, testified for about 90 minutes Wednesday.
His lawyer, Abe Lowell, suggested Cleveland had forced his client to buy weapons and suggested documents claiming Hunter did not have a drug problem were altered after the fact.
Despite tough questioning from Lowell, Cleveland managed to defend his position, using his vivid and accurate memory of events that had occurred nearly six years earlier.
“No, you’re getting it out of order,” Cleveland once countered Lowell, and during exchanges with the defense, he cracked jokes that drew rare laughter from the courtroom.
Near the end of Wednesday’s hearing, Judge Marielen Noreika said she wanted to convene the jury later than scheduled to allow Cleveland to finish his testimony.
After Lowell requested a sidebar, Noreika finished up his day’s work and agreed to bring Cleveland back to start the day on Thursday.
After the jury left the courtroom, prosecutor Derek Hines asked Lowell for a witness list, revealing that there were six more witnesses the government planned to call.
Hines added that the remaining witnesses will be dealt with quickly and there is a “possibility” that the prosecution could wrap up the trial soon.
In addition to Hallie Biden, the remaining government witnesses include two Delaware State Police troopers who responded to a call about Hunter’s missing gun, a trash collector who found the gun and turned it in, a DEA special agent who testified about drug trade terminology, and a forensic chemist who discussed cocaine reportedly found in the gun pouch.
In addition to Cleveland, the jury heard testimony from Hunter’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhl, his former girlfriend, Zoe Kestan, and FBI Special Agent Erica Jensen.
Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty to three criminal charges alleging he illegally purchased a revolver while high on crack cocaine.
