Hunter Biden texted drug dealer a day before buying firearm, prosecutors claim in big blow to defense

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE: In a highly scrutinized trial taking place in Wilmington, Delaware, President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, is facing legal challenges over his past drug use and a firearm purchase.

Federal prosecutors have highlighted text messages indicating Hunter's attempt to meet a convicted drug dealer just a day before he allegedly lied about his drug use to buy a .38-caliber revolver.

These events, detailed by prosecutors and defense alike, have become central to the ongoing court case, revealing some shocking aspects of Biden's life and the people involved.

The October 2018 texts and firearm purchase by Hunter Biden

On the evening of October 11, 2018, Hunter Biden, 54, sent a message to a contact saved as “Q,” arranging to meet at a 7-Eleven at 3 o’clock. “Can you meet me @ 7/11 now[?],” the younger Biden asked, only to realize “Q", who also called himself “Jr,” couldn’t make it.

This communication occurred just a day before Hunter visited Starquest Shooters & Survival Supply in Wilmington to purchase a Colt Cobra revolver. Hunter’s interaction with “Q” had spanned over two days, with messages exchanged on October 10 and 11.

The Daily Mail identified Hunter’s contact as Eladio Otero Jr, who in June 2023 pleaded guilty to using a communication device to facilitate a drug conspiracy.

Otero, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison followed by a year of supervised release, has a criminal record that includes a 2010 conviction for second-degree assault in Maryland related to a 2007 armed robbery.

The text messages between Hunter and “Q” became pivotal in the trial, with FBI agent Erika Jensen providing testimony to counter defense claims that Hunter was not addicted to crack cocaine at the time of the firearm purchase.

Prosecutor Derek Hines emphasized that Biden mentioned the convenience store before and after buying the gun, implying it was a location frequented for purchasing drugs.

However, defense attorney Abbe Lowell argued that the text messages alone did not confirm Hunter’s location or intentions.

“Was he going to meet Q or getting a cup of coffee?” he asked Jensen at one point. “I don’t know,” Jensen, analyzing evidence from Hunter's laptop, admitted to lacking further context on these messages. “I have no further context," she responded.

Financial transactions and court proceedings

An email recovered from Hunter Biden’s hard drive revealed a withdrawal of $800 from his Wells Fargo account on October 11, consistent with testimonies about his drug purchase patterns. Hunter’s ex-girlfriend, Zoe Kestan, testified that Hunter often withdrew large sums for drugs, even providing access codes to others for such withdrawals.

Additional evidence placed Hunter at the 7-Eleven around 5 am on October 16, based on location data from a text sent to Hallie Biden, his sister-in-law-turned-lover. “Sometimes we had text messages without location data,” Lowell told Jensen. “Sometimes we had location data without text messages.”

Throughout the trial, Hunter Biden’s family has shown strong support. First Lady Jill Biden attended every session except one, when she was in France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

Hunter’s half-sister, Ashley Biden, and other family members, including his "sugar brother" Kevin Morris, President Biden’s sister Valerie Biden Owens, and Jill Biden’s sister Bonny Jacobs, have been present regularly.

First brother James “Jim” Biden was also in attendance on Monday but was not called to testify despite being considered as a potential witness.

Judge Maryellen Noreika commenced Monday’s proceedings by overruling several defense objections to jury instructions. Much of the morning was dedicated to sidebars discussing definitions of "reasonable doubt" and "firearms dealer," and the immunity granted to witnesses Kestan and Hallie Biden.

Defense attorneys argued that broad definitions of drug "user" and firearm "possession" could jeopardize Hunter’s right to a fair trial and maintain that a conviction under such terms would be unsustainable on appeal, the New York Post reported.