Hunter Biden could be sentenced to jail time if he is convicted, said CNN’s chief legal affairs correspondent Paula Reid, but he may face a far less harsh sentencing due to the fact that he’s a first-time offender.
Hunter Biden is facing a three-count indictment, with the first two tied to the gun purchase itself.
Count three relates to the possession of the gun. It’s 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 worried about his mental health, according to the indictment and texts made public in recent court filings.
“As a first-time offender, again, if he’s even convicted, he would face something far less. Now, he faces three counts, for example, if he’s only convicted on one count, the sentence would be even less,” Reid said.
Hunter Biden’s sentence will be solely up to the judge. If convicted on all three counts, he could face up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000 at sentencing.
“His team will also likely appeal, and any sentence that came about would be paused while these appeals played out. So it’s not likely he’ll see jail time, even if he is given jail time, at least immediately,” said CNN justice correspondent Jessica Schneider.
CNN’s Marshall Cohen contributed reporting to this post.