US

Hunter Biden was a frequent user of crack cocaine when he drove his father's Cadillac and illegally bought a gun, Biden’s criminal trial heard.

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Hunter Biden is accused of intentionally lying on a form to buy a revolver and ammunition from a Wilmington, Delaware, gun shop on 12 October, 2018.

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Notably, it is for the first time a sitting US president's son has gone on trial. Hunter Biden could face up to 25 years in prison if found guilty of all three federal counts in the case.

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Biden is charged with lying to a federally licensed gun dealer, making a fake claim on the application by saying he was not a drug user, and illegally having the gun for 11 days.

On Tuesday (June 4), the court heard from the government's witness, FBI special agent Erika Jensen, who will return to the stand on Wednesday (June 5). 

She testified about bank records and texts from Biden's devices that referred drugs.

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During Biden’s trial, the jury will hear how Hallie Biden - the widow of the president's late son, Beau Biden - also became a drug addict during her brief relationship with Hunter Biden.

Eleven days after Biden purchased the gun, Hallie confiscated it from him and disposed of it in a grocery store bin, worried about his potential actions with the weapon.

"No-one is above the law," said prosecutor Derek Hines in Tuesday's opening statement to jurors. "It doesn't matter who you are or what your name is."

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“Mr Hines said Mr Biden had 'crossed the line' when he chose to buy the gun and allegedly lied about a federal background check,” he said.

However, defence lawyer Abbe Lowell in his opening statement said that the Cobra Colt .38 revolver was an impulse buy under pressure from a pushy gun store owner.

He further said his client had driven his father’s Cadillac to a mobile phone store on the day in question before crossing the street to the firearms shop.

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While taking about the application where he wrote he was not a user of illegal drugs, the defence lawyer said, "Hunter was not using drugs when he bought that gun.”

It is worth noting that Hunter Biden also faces a trial in California in September on charges of failing to pay $1.4mn in taxes.

(With inputs from agencies)