Hunter Biden Gun Conviction Would Have Never Happened If Store Didn't Break The Law: Report

Hunter Biden would not have been able to purchase the revolver at the center of his felony gun case had the Delaware shop that sold him the weapon strictly followed protocol, according to a report.

Earlier this month, the 54-year-old son of President Joe Biden was convicted on three felony charges, including lying on a federal background check form that he was not a drug user. Hunter was also found guilty of lying to a federally licensed firearms dealer and unlawfully possessing the weapon for 11 days.

All three charges stemmed from the .38 revolver he bought at StarQuest Shooters & Survival Supply in Delaware in October 2018.

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However, according to USA Today, Hunter should not have been able to buy the gun from the store because he was not a legal resident of Delaware at the time.

The outlet reported that the gun store "violated federal law," which says shops can sell handguns only to state residents who present a government-issued proof of residency.

But StarQuest sold Hunter the .38 revolver despite the first son presenting only his passport.

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The store also later amended the gun sales form in 2021 to say that Hunter provided a Delaware vehicle registration.

However, Hunter did not have a vehicle registered in the state in 2018 and instead drove a car not registered in his name on the day he bought the gun at StarQuest.

Store owner Ron Palimere admitted to federal agents that his shop added the line "D.E. VEHICLE REGISTRATION" three years after Hunter's purchase.

During Hunter's trial, his lawyers brought up the store's alleged violations, but the presiding judge ultimately prevented them from pursuing the issue, citing potential confusion for jurors and the fact that the shop wasn't on trial.

Some experts and gun control activists said the store should also face consequences for its role in Hunter's case.

"We don't give drug dealers a pass to get the possessor," David Chipman, a former senior policy adviser at gun control advocacy group Giffords, told USA Today. "It's criminal investigation 101. How the government has bent over backward to explain away the more serious felony is shocking."

National security expert Marcy Wheeler said, "If you're going to prosecute Hunter Biden for lying on a form, how do you avoid prosecuting a gun shop that doctors a form after the fact?"

Prosecutors and Hunter's lawyers did not comment on the store's alleged violations, according to the outlet.

But Hunter's defense team confirmed to the outlet that he was not a Delaware resident and did not have a vehicle registration in the state at the time of the purchase.

Hunter faces up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000. The date of his sentencing has not yet been announced.

The Hill reported that he has since requested a new trial, with his lawyers saying that the U.S. Court of Appeals did not give a formal go-ahead before the judge held Hunter's trial.