Hunter Biden’s gun trial judge, Maryellen Noreika, has recently imposed a one-year sentence on a defendant involved in a comparable firearms case.
This case could provide insight into how Noreika might decide on Hunter’s sentencing if he is found guilty of gun-related offenses by a jury.
Hunter faces charges including making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, possessing a firearm while being an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance, and providing false information required by a federal firearms licensed dealer.
According to numerous photos from his abandoned laptop, Hunter reportedly used crack cocaine at the time of purchasing the firearm, which was later discovered discarded in a public trash can near a school. Allegedly, the Secret Service intervened in the investigation of this incident.
Noreika handed down a sentence to Zhi Dong for providing false information about his address on government forms while purchasing guns at Delaware gun stores on May 2, 2024.
Dong, who pleaded guilty, admitted to living in Maryland while claiming to live in Delaware.
Dong apparently drove the purchased guns to California to a gun store, which was “indicative of trafficking firearms, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memo.”
The defense asked for a six-month sentence, but Noreika gave Dong one year.
“When you see a judge who is willing to basically double the sentencing recommendation of the prosecution, then that’s a little bit concerning, obviously, for any defense attorney,” Peter Tilem, told Politico, a defense lawyer who handled gun cases.
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