a A federal judge on Friday Hunter Biden’s sentencing on firearms charges is scheduled for Nov. 13, just one week after the Nov. 5 presidential election that his father, President Biden, recently withdrew from.
Hunter Biden was convicted in June of illegally possessing a firearm after lying about illegal drug use when applying to buy a gun six years ago, the first time the son of a sitting president has been convicted of a crime.
U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika said the deadline for either party to file a sentencing memorandum seeking a departure from the federal sentencing guidelines is Oct. 30, but if neither party seeks a change, they must file by Nov. 6.
Defendants like Biden typically face 15 to 21 months in prison, according to the US Commission on Criminal Justice, which sets sentencing guidelines. They could face up to 25 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. First-time offenders rarely receive the maximum sentence.
But that decision remains entirely at Noreika’s discretion. Biden will likely meet with a federal probation officer, who will conduct a pre-sentencing interview and prepare a report with recommendations.
The three felony convictions returned by a 12-person jury of Delaware residents earlier this year stemmed from Biden’s purchase of a Colt Cobra 38 SPL revolver in 2018. When asked on a federal firearm purchase form if he had used or been addicted to illegal drugs, Biden checked “no” and then illegally possessed the firearm for 11 days.
Much of the six-day trial was devoted to an in-depth examination of Biden’s crack cocaine addiction. Both Biden and his father have spoken publicly about their struggles with addiction, which were exacerbated by the 2015 death of Hunter Biden’s older brother, Beau Biden, from brain cancer.
Nevertheless, special counsel David Weiss, who was appointed last year to investigate Hunter Biden’s alleged criminal conduct and who filed the federal lawsuit, argued that the case wasn’t about addiction itself but about “the unlawful choices defendants made in the throes of their addiction.”
In a statement after the verdict, Hunter Biden said he was “disappointed” in the outcome but “blessed” to have experienced recovery. His lawyer, Abe Lowell, vowed to “vigorously pursue” any legal challenges.
President Biden said he would not pardon his son and would “continue to respect the judicial process” while he considers his appeal.
