Bearing in mind that this is putting the cart well ahead of the horse, a defendant information sheet from Hunter Biden's federal indictment on three felony counts related to his purchase and possession of a firearm while addicted to drugs shows what sort of penalties Hunter could face if he's convicted on the charges.
On Count 1, "False Statement in Purchase of Firearm," the maximum penalty listed is "10 years of imprisonment; a fine of $250,000;3 years of supervised release; a special assessment of $100."
For Count 2, "False Statement Related to Information Required to be Kept By Federal Firearms Licensed Dealer," Hunter faces "5 years of imprisonment; a fine of $250,000; 3 years of supervised release; a special assessment of $100."
Count 3, "Possession of a Firearm by a Person who is an Unlawful User of or Addicted to a Controlled Substance," the maximum penalty carries "10 years of imprisonment; a fine of $250,000; 3 years of supervised release; a special assessment of $100."
Hunter’s Defendant Information Sheet shows the three counts carry maximum penalties of 10, 5, and 10 years imprisonment respectively, plus a $250k fine and $100 special assessment each. pic.twitter.com/FscytPvKts
— Spencer Brown (@itsSpencerBrown) September 14, 2023
Now, those are the maximum penalties for anyone who purchases and possesses a firearm while attesting that they're not addicted to or using drugs, and ought to apply to Hunter Biden for allegedly committing the same infractions.
In his book "Beautiful Things" released in 2021, Hunter Biden writes about how he was doing crack "every 15 minutes," as explained in this USA Today review of the sordid memoir:
In the spring of 2018, he used his "superpower – finding crack anytime, anywhere" – in Los Angeles. At one point, a dealer pointed a gun at his head before he realized Biden was looking for drugs.
He later learned how to cook drugs and spent a lot of time with thieves, addicts and con artists. "I never slept. There was no clock. Day bled into night and night into day," he writes.
The situation grew out of control. "I was smoking crack every 15 minutes," he writes.
Biden returned to the East Coast in the fall of 2018, again wanting to get better, though that didn't happen.
According to the indictment against Hunter, he filled out forms saying he was not addicted to or using drugs in October 2018, and then possessed the firearm under the same false claim that he was not using drugs.
Whether Hunter actually faces the penalties that apply to those who break firearm laws is an entirely different question. Already, Americans have seen how the justice system attempted to let Hunter off with barely a slap on the wrist for the gun crimes with a plea deal that would have seen Hunter only complete a "diversion program."
For all President Biden's talk and policy aimed at restricting Americans' ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights, it's extremely hypocritical for him to continue claiming Hunter has "done nothing wrong." Hunter, according to his own book, was addicted to drugs at the time he said he wasn't to purchase and possess a firearms.
By his father's strict standards and tough talk about firearms, Hunter should receive the maximum allowable penalties if he's convicted in order to send a clear message that gun laws are a serious matter and violating them will not be tolerated — no matter who committed the infractions.