Hunter Biden could be sentenced to prison if convicted, CNN senior legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid said, but he could face a much less severe sentence due to the fact that it is his first time committing a crime.
“You could face decades in prison and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, but that's the upper range, and sentencing is definitely more of an art than a science,” Reid said. “I can say that jail time would be on the table.”
Hunter Biden faces a three-count indictment, the first two linked to the gun purchase itself.
The third charge relates to possession of the weapon. It is also against federal law to possess a gun if you are abusing drugs. Hunter Biden had the gun for 11 days in October 2018, before his girlfriend threw it in a dumpster because she was concerned about her mental health, according to the indictment and texts made public in recent court documents. .
“As a first-time offender, again, if he's convicted, he would be facing something much less. Now, he's facing three charges, so for example, if he's only convicted of one charge, the sentence would be even less,” Reid said. .
Hunter Biden's sentence will depend solely on the judge. If he is convicted of all three charges, he could face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000 at sentencing.
CNN's Marshall Cohen contributed reporting to this publication.
