Thread: Right-wing domestic terrorists

18 years in prison and 36 months of supervised release

• Proud Boy Ethan Nordean sentenced to 18 years in prison, tying for highest Jan. 6 sentence

Proud Boy Ethan Nordean on Friday was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack — a tie for the longest sentence handed down in connection with the riot.

A Washington state chapter leader of the right-wing extremist group, Nordean was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other serious felonies in May. He served as a leader in a special Proud Boys chapter called the Ministry of Self Defense, a group made up of “real men” dispatched to D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021.

Nordean said Friday that he now views Jan. 6 as a “complete and utter tragedy,” according to the Associated Press.

“To anyone who I directly or even indirectly wronged, I’m sorry,” he told the court.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly applied a terrorism enhancement to his sentencing guidelines, according to a Justice Department (DOJ) release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason McCullough on Friday described Nordean as “the undisputed leader on the ground on Jan. 6,” the Associated Press reported. Prosecutors requested a 27-year sentence for Nordean.

Nordean’s sentence is tied in length with Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison in May.

The Proud Boys defendants have received some of the highest sentences given for participating in the Capitol attack. On Thursday, Joe Biggs was sentenced to 17 years in prison and Zachary Rehl was sentenced to 15 years — the second and third highest sentences handed down. Dominic Pezzola on Friday received a sentence of 10 years in prison.

Enrique Tarrio, former national chairman of the right-wing extremist group, is set to be sentenced next week. His sentence was originally scheduled for Wednesday but was canceled after Kelly, the judge, got sick.

The Proud Boys’ sentencings close the book on the historic seditious conspiracy cases brought by the DOJ after the Capitol was attacked.

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extra

Ethan Nordean lashed out at Trump on Jan. 20

10 years in prison and 36 months of supervised release

• Defiant Proud Boy 'Spaz' screams 'Trump won' as he is jailed for 10 years for breaking into the Capitol with a riot shield and sparking up a 'victory smoke' cigar

A Proud Boys member who lit up a cigar for a 'victory smoke' after breaking into the Capitol with a riot shield yelled 'Trump won' to the court after being jailed for 10 years.

Dominic Pezzola's sentence on Friday is the third to have been handed to members of the far-right group this week.

Their case is one of the most serious brought in the unprecedented attack. Pezzola, of Rochester who owned a business called 'D Pezzola Flooring', was the only one of the five Proud Boys not to be convicted of seditious conspiracy.

Pezzola, known as 'Spaz', was convicted of a raft of charges, including assaulting or resisting a police officer, robbery of a police shield, destruction of government property and obstructing an official proceeding for his part in the January 6, 2021, riot.

'The reality is you were the one who did it,' US District Judge Timothy Kelly said during Friday's hearing.

'You were the one who smashed that window in and let people begin to stream into the Capitol building and threaten the lives of our lawmakers. It is not something I would have ever dreamed I’d see in our country. You were really, in some ways, the tip of the spear.'

Kelly had only left the room for minutes after telling Pezzola he hoped he'd turned when the disgraced 46-year-old shouted 'Trump won', and raised his fist in the air.

Videos show Pezzola, a Marine Corps veteran, using a riot shield to break windows and enter the capitol.

'Victory smoke in the Capitol, boys. This is f**king awesome. I knew we could take this motherf**ker over [if we] just tried hard enough,' Pezzola said, according to a criminal complaint.

The witness also said that Pezzola 'bragged about breaking the windows to the Capitol and entering the building.'

A witness told the FBI that Pezzola talked about killing Vice President Mike Pence 'if given the chance.'

He was also pictured wearing the Proud Boys logo at a MAGA rally on December 12 in Washington, D.C. which resulted in four stabbings.

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Just for fun

• Proud Boys Leader Predicts Trump Will Pardon Him As He Bemoans Prison Food

Proud Boys leader Joseph Biggs has said he believes "with all my heart" that Donald Trump will pardon him in an online interview in which he also complained about the food in prison.

The U.S. Army veteran was sentenced to 17 years in prison earlier this week for his involvement in the January 6 riot at the Capitol in 2021. During his sentencing, Biggs praised former president Trump.

22 years in prison

Proud Boy Enrique Tarrio – Judge applied terrorism enhancement to his sentencing.

More later

Locking up conservative normie losers for decades. This is the exact kind of ridiculous nonsense that will get Trump re elected

WOW.

Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio Sentenced to 22 Years For Seditious Conspiracy


A judge sentenced former Proud Boys chair Enrique Tarrio to 22 years on Tuesday afternoon for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. His is the longest sentence awarded in a Jan. 6 criminal case so far.


Tarrio was convicted of seditious conspiracy along with three fellow Proud Boys in May. During a four-month trial, a jury heard that Tarrio was a ringleader in an organized plot to sow chaos on Jan. 6. Although Tarrio was not physically present at the Capitol riots (he’d been arrested days earlier on gun charges), he helped plan the attack and sent directions to Proud Boys via a group chat, prosecutors showed.


Prosecutors asked for 33 years in prison for Tarrio. Judge Tim Kelly awarded 22 years in prison with 36 months supervised release, a sentence that included a terrorism enhancement. Kelly, who noted that the enhancement can be applied in instances when a crime was “calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government by intimidation or coercion,” said that the enhancement was not even a “close call” for Tarrio.

During a Tuesday court appearance, Tarrio’s lawyers argued that he could not have reasonably predicted that the day would turn to a riot. Judge Tim Kelly noted that the attorneys had already made that argument to the jury, unsuccessfully. Kelly also noted that Tarrio was at the top of the Proud Boys’ chain of command on Jan. 6, pointing to a message in which Tarrio ordered followers “don’t fucking leave.”


Tarrio’s defense also claimed that he had “always been pro-law enforcement,” and that the Proud Boys’ Jan. 6 battle gear—like pepper spray and helmets—were intended to fight anti-fascists, not police.


Fellow Proud Boys Joe Biggs and Ethan Nordean were sentenced to 17 and 18 years last week, respectively. Proud Boy Zachary Rehl received a 15-year sentence on seditious conspiracy charges while Dominic Pezzola, a Proud Boy who smashed a Capitol window at the beginning of the attack, was convicted of some offenses but acquitted of seditious conspiracy.


Five members of the far-right group the Oath Keepers were also convicted of seditious conspiracy for their roles in the Capitol attack.


In an interview with InfoWars (where he’d previously worked as a cameraman) last week, Biggs told host Alex Jones that he believed Donald Trump would pardon him, if reelected.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/proud-...=home?ref=home

22 years in prison and 36 months of supervised release

• Proud Boys Leader Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison on Seditious Conspiracy and Other Charges Related to U.S. Capitol Breach | Department of Justice

The former national chairman of the Proud Boys was sentenced today for seditious conspiracy and other charges related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, 39, of Miami, Florida, was sentenced to 22 years in prison and 36 months of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly. His is the longest sentence, to date, related to the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

“On January 6th, 2021, the United States Capitol was attacked, 140 law enforcement officers defending those inside were assaulted, and the peaceful transfer of power to a newly elected government – a cornerstone of our democracy – was interrupted,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department proved in court that the Proud Boys played a central role in setting the January 6th attack on our Capitol into motion. Over the past week, four members of the Proud Boys received sentences that reflect the danger their crimes pose to our democracy. Today, the leader of the Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, learned that the consequence of conspiring to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power is 22 years in federal prison.”

“Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who attempted to undermine the workings of American democracy will be held criminally accountable,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will always protect those who peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights. But we will never condone the actions of those who break our laws, and we will continue to work with federal prosecutors to ensure those perpetrators are held responsible.”

“No organization put more boots on the ground at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, than the Proud Boys, and they were at the forefront of every major breach of the Capitol’s defenses, leading the on-the-ground efforts to storm the seat of government,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew M. Graves. “The leaders of the Proud Boys and the leaders of the Oath Keepers, who conspired before, during, and after the siege of the Capitol to use force against their own government to prevent the peaceful transfer of power, have now been held accountable.”

“Today’s significant sentence of Enrique Tarrio is a result of extensive work from multiple FBI field offices across the country," said David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. "The 22 years-long sentence for his numerous crimes, including seditious conspiracy, is a clear sign that the FBI will work as long as it takes to uphold the Constitution and our oath to the American people. The FBI and our partners will continue to hold accountable those who engaged in violence and criminal activity on January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol.”

On May 4, 2023, a jury found Tarrio and three other co-defendants guilty of multiple felonies, including seditious conspiracy, for their actions before and during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.

Previously sentenced in this matter were co-defendants Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, and Dominic Pezzola. Nordean was sentenced to 18 years in prison, Biggs was sentenced to 17 years, Rehl was sentenced to 15 years, and Pezzola was sentenced to 10 years.

According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, prior to the events of Jan. 6, 2021, Tarrio created a special chapter of the Proud Boys known as the “Ministry of Self-Defense,” which included co-defendants Nordean, Biggs, and Rehl. As part of this group, these defendants conspired to prevent, hinder, and delay the certification of the Electoral College vote and to oppose by force the authority of the government of the United States.

In the days leading to January 6th, Tarrio and other leaders of the Ministry of Self-Defense hand-selected members of the organization, including co-defendant Dominic Pezzola, to serve as “rally boys” during the attack on the Capitol. To prepare for the attack, Tarrio and the other leaders established a chain of command, chose a time and place for their attack, and intentionally recruited others who would follow their top-down leadership and who were prepared to engage in physical violence if necessary.

On January 6th, the group began their assault that day at 10:00 a.m. when Nordean, Biggs, Rehl, and others marched an assembled group of nearly 200 individuals away from speeches at the Ellipse and directly toward the Capitol. At 2:11 p.m., Pezzola smashed open a window, allowing the first rioters to enter the Capitol as Biggs and those with him entered close behind. Court documents say that Nordean, Biggs, Rehl, and the men they recruited and led participated in every consequential breach at the Capitol that day.

As the events of January 6th unfolded, Tarrio, who was monitoring the attack from afar, posted encouraging messages to his tens of thousands of social media followers, including: “Proud of my boys and my country” and “Don’t f****** leave.” Tarrio privately claimed credit for the riot at the Capitol, telling Proud Boys senior leadership, “Make no mistake . . . we did this.” On January 7th, Tarrio addressed the Ministry of Self-Defense members, telling them he was “proud of y’all.”

During the hearing, U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly found that Tarrio’s conduct constituted an official act of terrorism and applied an enhancement to his final sentence.

78 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, $2,000 restitution and a $5,000 fine

• California Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

A California man was sentenced in the District of Columbia today on two felony charges related to his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Sean Michael McHugh, 36, of Auburn, California, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates to 78 months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. Judge Bates also ordered McHugh to pay $2,000 restitution and a $5,000 fine. McHugh was found guilty of obstruction and assaulting, impeding, or interfering with law enforcement officers following a stipulated bench trial before Judge Bates in April 2023.

According to court documents and the stipulated evidence presented in court, prior to his arrival in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, McHugh told others that he was going to Washington, D.C., to “fight” and “storm Congress.” He brought a canister of bear spray with him to Washington, D.C., and he carried it in a holster for ready access. The bear spray is 50 percent stronger than the pepper spray used by police. Before the riot, McHugh urged others to “march on Congress directly after Trump’s speech.”

McHugh was part of the initial breach of the Capitol grounds at the Peace Circle. Once he arrived at the Capitol, McHugh actively participated in at least four attempts to breach perimeters established by officers during the riot. He was one of the initial rioters to breach a police line and enter the West Plaza. Afterward, McHugh wrestled with an officer for control of a barricade protecting access to the Capitol and assaulted a line of U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers on the West Plaza, hitting them with his bear spray, causing the officers to back away from the line, and preventing them from performing their official duties. Finally, McHugh helped other rioters to push a large metal sign into officers. In between these acts of aggression, McHugh used his megaphone to encourage other rioters to act against law enforcement.

After the riot, McHugh posted multiple messages on Facebook bragging about his actions during the riot and reveling in the violence against police, boasting, “…we stormed them and we took Congress”

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Daniel Leyden - 38 months in prison and 12 months of supervised release
Joseph Leyden - 6 months in prison and 12 months of supervised release

• Two Illinois Men Sentenced for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Two Illinois men were sentenced to prison on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, after they both pleaded guilty to a felony charge related to their actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Their actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Daniel Leyden, 55, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden to 38 months in prison and 12 months of supervised release. His brother Joseph Leyden, 56, of La Grange, Illinois, was sentenced to six months in prison and 12 months of supervised release by Judge McFadden. Both Leydens pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting, resisting, or impeding law enforcement officers on May 24, 2023.

According to court documents, Daniel and Joseph Leyden were among the rioters who were illegally on the Capitol grounds on Jan. 6, 2021. Shortly after 12:50 p.m., Daniel Leyden was at the front of the crowd that confronted law enforcement officers at metal barricades near the Peace Circle. Daniel Leyden and other rioters repeatedly lifted and pushed a metal barricade into the U.S. Capitol Police officers defending the line. Daniel Leyden’s actions caused a U.S. Capitol Police officer to fall backward, injuring the officer’s knee and pinning the officer under the barricade.

At the same time, several other officers were also assaulted by the rioters with the barricade, including one who was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion. Daniel Leyden’s actions contributed to injuries that these officers sustained and prevented officers from defending themselves and providing aid to one another. Daniel Leyden and other rioters then swarmed past the police.

Joseph Leyden was among rioters at the West Plaza at the Capitol, where at approximately 1:14 p.m., rioters began to pull other metal barriers into the crowd, compromising the ability of law enforcement officers to re-establish a perimeter. Joseph Leyden advanced and rushed towards an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department. He then lunged at and pushed the officer.

All will be out in less than 2 yrs.

Nope. But they should have a friend joining them (long term)

Eric Munchel - 57 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution

Lisa Eisenhart (mom) - 30 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution

• Capitol rioter who carried zip-tie handcuffs in viral photo is sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison

A Tennessee bartender who carried plastic zip tie handcuffs and a stun gun into the Senate gallery on Jan. 6, 2021, where he was captured in one the most widely shared photos of the U.S. Capitol riot, was sentenced on Friday to nearly five years in prison.

Eric Munchel, 32, was convicted of conspiracy and other charges alongside his mother, Lisa Eisenhart, 59, who was also sentenced on Friday to two-and-a-half years in prison.

The photo that went viral after the riot shows Munchel, who was dressed like a member of a SWAT team, jumping over a railing in the Senate gallery with a handful of zip-tie handcuffs in his hand. Lawmakers preparing to certify President Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory had fled the Senate floor only minutes before rioters invaded the chamber.

“A photojournalist captured the moment in what has become an iconic picture from January 6, visually capturing the danger of the riot, to democracy in general and to our elected representatives in particular,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing. “Due to this photograph, Munchel is widely known on social media as ‘Zip Tie Guy.’”

Prosecutors added that “it is terrifying to contemplate what Munchel and Eisenhart would have done if members of Congress had still been present in the Senate Chamber when they entered it.”

U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who sentenced the pair, decided their case without a jury after a “stipulated bench trial." That means the judge based his rulings on facts that both sides agreed to before the trial started. The proceeding allows defendants to preserve appeal rights that they would have to waive if they pleaded guilty.

Prosecutors had recommended prison sentences of four years and nine months for Munchel and three years and 10 months for Eisenhart, of Woodstock Georgia, who has worked as a nurse for over 30 years. Munchel was sentenced to four years and nine months behind bars.

Munchel and his mother traveled from Nashville, Tennessee, to Washington, D.C., two days before then-President Donald Trump's Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House.

Both of them wore tactical vests as they walked from their hotel to join the Capitol siege, which disrupted the joint session of Congress for certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory. Munchel also wore all-black paramilitary garb with a stun gun holstered on his hip.

Munchel bumped fists with a member of the anti-government Oath Keepers extremist group before he and his mother entered the Capitol through an emergency exit door. Inside, Munhel stole zip-tie handcuffs from a shelf and handed one to his mother.

Eisenhart shouted, “Treason!” and “Cowards!” while she and her son stood in the Senate gallery, about 30 minutes after lawmakers fled the chamber. Munchel was carrying a handful of zip-tie cuffs as he leaped over a banister in the gallery.

Munchel was “ready to take hostages,” and his mother was prepared to help him and “show Congress who was really in charge,” prosecutors said.

“The logical inference is that Munchel and Eisenhart wanted to use the zip tie handcuffs to capture their enemies: the members of Congress voting to certify the election.”

Munchel and his mother only spent about 12 minutes inside the Capitol, but they managed to penetrate and occupy “one of the most sensitive and sacred areas of the Capitol,” prosecutors said.

Tennessee Mother and Son (“Zip Tie Guy”) Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges Related to Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol Breach | Department of Justice

Originally Posted by pickel

Cornel West

^
What's the smilie for?

48 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution and a $20,000 fine

• New Jersey Man Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges Related to Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol Breach

A New Jersey man was sentenced in the District of Columbia today on five offenses, including a felony, committed during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Patrick Alonzo Stedman, 35, of Haddonfield, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell to 48 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution and a $20,000 fine.

Numerous videos and photos documented Stedman's offenses inside the Capitol building, including footage from police body-worn camera, open-source video, surveillance footage from inside the Capitol, and texts and messages he posted to social media.

According to evidence introduced at trial, Stedman used his substantial online presence to encourage and organize other men to come to Washington, D.C., on January 6, telling his followers the night before, "Now we FIGHT!" In his own words, recorded on video later that day, Stedman said he was in the "first wave" that "climbed up the back part of the Capitol building" and "broke down the doors." Along with two of his followers, Stedman illegally entered the U.S. Capitol shouting, "Storming the Capitol!" and "Let's f****** go!" as he advanced forward.

While inside the Capitol for over 40 minutes, Stedman was part of a disorderly mob that overran police lines in the Crypt. Stedman entered the chambers of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and roamed the halls and offices in the Speaker's Suite. He also took selfie photos of himself on the Speaker's Balcony. Stedman proceeded to the main door to the House Chamber, where he yelled, "Let us in!" and "Break it down!" as other rioters banged on the door, the window of which had already been broken. When Stedman learned that a rioter had been shot, he shouted threats at officers of the U.S. Capitol Police, including, "You killed one of us? You're done!"

After he was expelled from the Capitol building by police, Stedman recorded a video for his followers, explaining that he had "taken action" to prevent Congress from certifying the results of the presidential election and that the "rats" – as he referred to members of Congress – had "scurried into the tunnels" to escape. He posted on social media that "patriots" had stolen the hard drives from the Capitol and, “The Storm is Here.”

Originally Posted by pickel

What's the smilie for?

Spoiler, Cornel West

^
It wasn't an endorsement. And that wouldn't stop him from running. In a tight race between Trump and Biden, he might only need 100,000 votes to be a spoiler. Most voters wouldn't even know about what's in your link. Just being black would probably do it.

But keep on running the old horse, and hope the other jockeys don't show up to the racetrack. Great strategy.

19 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release and ordered to pay $3,170 in restitution and fines

• Ohio Man Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanors Committed During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

An Ohio man was sentenced in the District of Columbia today on five offenses, including a felony, committed during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Alexander Sheppard, 24, of Powell, Ohio, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates to serve 19 months in prison and 24 months of supervised release. Sheppard also was ordered to pay $3,170 in restitution and fines.

Sheppard was found guilty in January of obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony, entering and remaining in a restricted grounds or building, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.

Sheppard originally had been scheduled to be sentenced on April 26, 2023. Sheppard had claimed the siege of the U.S. Capitol was a “false flag” operation planned by or involving the government, “federal agitators,” and Antifa.

According to evidence introduced at trial, Sheppard was among the first rioters to enter the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and joined others in overrunning multiple police lines established to stop the mob’s spread. Inside the Crypt, he and fellow rioters were captured on video as they pushed through a police line designed to prevent the mob from moving towards the House Chamber where members of Congress were present. He then recorded a video of himself proudly proclaiming: “I’m here with some goddamn heroes, and we just shut down Congress! They called an emergency session, they said we’re too scared, they’ve shut down Congress. Let’s fucking go!”

Additional video showed Sheppard running to the Speaker’s Lobby doors and screaming at the U.S. Capitol Police officers who stood guard there while House members and staff prepared to evacuate behind them. Sheppard captured video of fleeing members of congress and looked on as other rioters violently punched out the windows of the doors— just inches away from the officers’ heads. Sheppard left only after witnessing another rioter get shot by law enforcement after attempting to climb through the broken windows of the same doors.

In the days following the breach, Sheppard posted threatening statements on social media directed towards the Vice President. On Jan. 9, 2021, Sheppard posted on Parler, “[w]e shouldn’t hang Mike Pence. Firing squad!”

Originally Posted by pickel

Most voters wouldn't even know about what's in your link.

Because he’s not a threat and never will be,……….to absolutely anyone.

Originally Posted by S Landreth

Because he’s not a threat and never will be,……….to absolutely anyone.

If he (or anybody else, for that matter) runs as a 3rd party candidate, Biden is done. Even Ralph Nader would tell you that for free.

78 months (6.5 years) in prison, 24 months of supervised release and pay restitution of $2,000

• Tennessee Man Sentenced to Prison on Eight Felony Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

A Tennessee man was sentenced today on eight felony and two misdemeanor charges for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Joseph “Jose” Lino Padilla, 43, of Cleveland, Tennessee, was sentenced to 78 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates in the District of Columbia. On May 3, Judge Bates found Padilla guilty, following a bench trial, on ten counts, among them two assaults on police officers, including one with a deadly or dangerous weapon, and obstruction of an official proceeding and related charges. In addition to the prison term, Judge Bates ordered Padilla to serve 24 months of supervised release and to pay restitution of $2,000.

According to evidence presented in court, Padilla traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend a rally at the Ellipse on Jan. 6, 2021. After he left the rally, Padilla made his way toward the U.S. Capitol building, arriving at the West Plaza at about 1:20 p.m. Here, he approached a line of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers who were standing behind a bike rack barricade. As he got closer, he berated the officers, calling them “traitors” and “oath breakers.”

At one point, Padilla turned towards an officer and said that the officer was “following unconstitutional orders” and that the officer “had a duty to refuse unconstitutional orders."

Padilla, a former prison corrections officer, then repeatedly pushed against the bike racks, forced his way into the Tunnel, and threw a flagpole, striking an officer in the helmet. During the riot, Padilla messaged a family member, “I've been beaten. Sprayed and [tased]. Resting before I go in for more,” “Were pushing the door. Had to take a break,” and “It’s not a rally anymore it’s a revolution.”

In total, Padilla spent three hours on the West Front of the Capitol, breaking through police lines, rallying other rioters to join him, and relentlessly berating police.

The day after the riot, Padilla posted on social media, “[T]he Declaration of Independence, one of our founding documents, specifically gave me the right to do what I did. ‘... it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,’” and “Yeah, I’m proud of what I did yesterday. It’s guns next, that’s the only way.”

Not acquitted

30 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution and fines

• Idaho Woman Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges for Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

An Idaho woman was sentenced in the District of Columbia today on two felonies and four misdemeanors related to her actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Yvonne St Cyr, 55, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John D. Bates to 30 months in prison, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution and fines.

St Cyr was found guilty by a jury on March 10, 2023, of the six charges filed against her, including two counts of obstructing and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder, both felonies. In addition to the felonies, St Cyr was convicted of several misdemeanor charges, including entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building.

According to the evidence presented at trial, St Cyr, a former Marine Corps drill instructor, traveled from Idaho to Washington, D.C., to attend a rally on Jan. 6, 2021. After leaving the rally, St Cyr went to the U.S. Capitol building, where she joined a crowd of rioters who occupied the Lower West Plaza. When she arrived at the Capitol, St Cyr forced her way to the front of the crowd and pushed her body against the police line barricades on the Lower West Plaza. Despite orders from police, St Cyr remained there for more than fifteen minutes, disobeying police commands to move.

When the crowd ultimately overwhelmed the police officers in that area, St Cyr was one of the first rioters to break through the fence line. She then marched forward, eventually making her way into the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, where she witnessed vicious acts of violence against police officers. St Cyr entered the Tunnel twice and eventually climbed onto a ledge overlooking the crowd of rioters, which she filmed with her phone and shouted at the crowd, “We need fresh people” and “Push, push, push.”

After leaving the Tunnel, St Cyr climbed through a broken window, entering a Senator’s hideaway room adjacent to the Tunnel. Once inside, St Cyr helped another rioter enter and made a livestreamed video of herself while occupying the room.

12 months and one day in prison, six months of home confinement, and 36 months of supervised release

• Member of the Oath Keepers Sentenced for Role in Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

A member of the Oath Keepers was sentenced today for her role in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Her actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Laura Steele, 55, of Thomasville, North Carolina, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, six months of home confinement, and 36 months of supervised release.

In March of 2023, a federal jury convicted Steele, a former police officer, and four other co-defendants of conspiring to obstruct an official proceeding, a felony. Steele was also convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiring to prevent an officer of the United States from discharging a duty, interfering with officers in a civil disorder, destruction of government property, and destroying evidence after the fact—all felonies.

Court documents say that on January 6th, Oath Keepers leader Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, who was convicted in an earlier trial of seditious conspiracy and related charges, sent a message in an encrypted group chat announcing that former Vice President Michael R. Pence would not intercede to stop Congress' certification of the electoral college vote, and so "patriots" were taking matters into their own hands. Moments later, a group of Oath Keepers, including Steele, began their march toward the Capitol.

According to court documents and evidence presented during the trial, on the afternoon of January 6, when it became clear that Congress was going forward with the certification of the 2020 presidential election, Steele and four of her co-defendants donned paramilitary gear and clothing and marched with other Oath Keepers members and affiliates to the United States Capitol. When the group arrived on the Capitol grounds, a leader of the group—Kelly Meggs—announced that they were going inside the Capitol to stop the vote count. In response, Steele joined hands on shoulders with eleven other members of their group and moved, in a coordinated and calculated fashion, up the steps of the Capitol in a military "stack" formation.

At the top of the steps, the group joined the mob of other rioters who had overcome officers guarding the door. Once inside, the group split up. Half the group, including defendant Laura Steele, joined rioters attempting to push their way through a line of Metropolitan Police Department Officer (MPD) officers guarding a hallway that led to the Senate Chamber. The officers were forced to deploy chemical spray to hold back the mob. Steele and others then retreated, regrouped, exited the Capitol, and met up with the other members of the Oath Keepers.

27 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution

• Florida Man Sentenced for Assaulting Law Enforcement During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

A Florida man was sentenced in the District of Columbia on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, on two felony charges, including assaulting a federal officer, related to his actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Kevin Louis Galetto, 63, of Merritt Island, Florida (formerly of Westminster, California), was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to 27 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. Galetto pleaded guilty on March 20, 2023, to civil disorder and assault of a federal officer, both felony offenses.

According to court documents, around 2:40 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, Galetto approached the Lower West Terrace tunnel entrance of the Capitol building wearing a black Trump baseball hat, a black beanie, a tan jacket, and a gray hoodie. Galetto was one of the first five individuals inside the tunnel and was met with a large police presence denying him and the larger crowd entrance into the Capitol building. Galetto watched as rioters’ shattered the glass double doors separating them from the officers and charged the line of police. Galetto was at the front of the crowd in the tunnel and was among the first rioters to engage with police.

Body-worn camera video footage shows Galetto in the tunnel with his arms extended and pressed up against the riot shields of a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer. At approximately 2:44 p.m., video footage shows Galetto’s body pressed up against officer shields and his involvement in a scuffle with one officer, which caused the officer to be knocked to the ground. That officer, having been knocked over by Galetto and others in the tunnel, was underneath the feet of people in the tunnel. The officer was only able to get up after he called out for help, and another officer stepped over him and helped him to his feet. Galetto, who had also fallen to the ground, was less than an arm’s length away from the officer but did not offer any assistance.

After standing up, Galetto retreated from the tunnel. As he made his retreat, Galetto shouted to the crowd outside, “More people!” in an attempt to summon more rioters to the tunnel entrance to resist the officers. Galetto remained at the tunnel for over an hour and a half before re-entering the tunnel at 4:15 p.m. and taking part in one of the last pushes against the law enforcement line in the tunnel.

Later that evening, Galetto sent out several text messages describing his participation in the day’s events, including, “I was at the front of the attempted breach. […] After Pence turned, croud (sic) was pissed-off. We fought hard today, made history. Sore as he’ll (sic). Was fighting with police” and “These politicians need to be overthrown. Pence is a trader (sic) […] Very sore. Was in the front line. […] Pence broke the last straw. […] Thanks, we’re done as a free country.”

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Extra

• Ray Epps, rioter at centre of conspiracy theory, charged over January 6

Ray Epps – a Donald Trump supporter, Oath Keepers militia member and January 6 participant who became the subject of rightwing conspiracy theories about the attack on Congress – has been charged with one criminal count related to the riot.

In a court filing in US district court in Washington DC, dated Monday, federal prosecutors charged Epps with disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.

The charge can carry a sentence of up to 10 years.

A former US marine from Arizona, Epps went to Washington in January 2021 to join protesters seeking to block Joe Biden’s victory over Trump in the presidential election the previous November.

On the night of 5 January, he was filmed in downtown Washington, telling other Trump supporters: “Tomorrow, we need to go into the Capitol … peacefully.”

The next day, as Trump told supporters to “fight like hell” in his cause, the Capitol came under attack. The attack failed and Trump’s defeat was confirmed. Nine deaths have now been linked to the riot.

The notion that Epps was a federal agent, acting as a provocateur, took root early. On the night of 5 January, some around him chanted: “Fed! Fed! Fed! Fed!” In footage of the attack, after a Capitol police officer went down, Epps was seen pulling a rioter aside.

Rightwing media, prominently including the then Fox News prime-time host Tucker Carlson, eagerly took up the theory that Epps was linked to federal agents.

In July, Epps filed a defamation suit against Fox News, which the rightwing network has sought to dismiss.

Ray Epps, focus of Jan. 6 conspiracy theories, pleads guilty to Capitol riot charge

60 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution

• Maryland Man Sentenced on Felony and Misdemeanor Charges Related to Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

A Maryland man was sentenced in the District of Columbia today on felony and misdemeanor charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol breach. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

Rodney Kenneth Milstreed, 56, of Finksburg, Maryland, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to 60 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution.

Milstreed pleaded guilty on April 14, 2023, to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a deadly or dangerous weapon and receipt and possession of an unregistered firearm, both felonies, and assault by striking, beating, or wounding, a misdemeanor.

During the sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Boasberg found that Milstreed’s conduct warranted a sentencing enhancement under the Sentencing Guidelines provision for felony offenses involving terrorism because his crimes were calculated to influence or affect the conduct of the government by intimidation or coercion and to retaliate against government conduct. As part of his plea agreement, Milstreed agreed that this sentencing enhancement applied and agreed that his conduct was, in fact, calculated to influence government action by intimidation and coercion.

According to court documents, before the events of Jan. 6, 2021, Milstreed planned to attend the "Stop the Steal" rally on the National Mall rally in Washington, D.C., to protest the results of the 2020 presidential election. Court documents say that Milstreed attempted to recruit friends to join him at the rally, procured a wooden club, injected steroids for several weeks, and worked out to get "jacked" ahead of January 6th. Milstreed indicated to others that he was prepared to "crack some skulls" at the Capitol.

On the morning of January 6, Milstreed took the train from his home in Maryland to Washington, D.C., carrying a wooden pick handle, approximately 4 feet long, with a blue "Trump" flag attached. Shortly before 1:00 p.m., Milstreed made his way to the restricted grounds of the U.S. Capitol and was behind the initial group of rioters who breached the police line at the Pennsylvania Avenue walkway. He then made his way to the front of the crowd at the West Plaza barricade, where he broke through the police line.

Shortly after 1:00 p.m., Milstreed and a large group of rioters swarmed the Upper West Plaza and attempted to overcome a group of officers who had formed a police line. Between approximately 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., Milstreed engaged with the crowd in an effort to break through the police barriers and eventually succeeded and made his way to the Upper West Terrace within yards of the entrance to the Capitol. During the fighting, Milstreed grabbed and yanked on a bike rack barrier fence the police were using in an attempt to prevent the mob from advancing further toward the Capitol. Milstreed also located a smoke grenade the police had deployed to disburse the crowd and threw it back into the police line.

While Milstreed was on the Upper West Plaza, shortly after 1:00 p.m., court documents say that he forcibly assaulted a group of U.S. Capitol Police officers by throwing his wooden pick handle, with the flag still attached, into the line of U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers attempting to prevent the crowd from advancing. The pick handle hit a USCP officer and glanced off the officer's helmet.

In addition to the assault on police, Milstreed assaulted an Associated Press journalist on the Upper West Plaza. Here, Milstreed took notice of an individual in the crowd dressed in black, wearing a helmet-style gas mask and a lanyard with Associated Press lettering and carrying at least one large professional camera. This individual, a photographer for the Associated Press, was attacked by rioters in the area. Milstreed was one of the first to assault this individual and, in doing so, committed an act of striking, beating, or wounding the victim.

Specifically, Milstreed grabbed the photographer's backpack and yanked him down a set of steps to the Lower West Plaza. After the victim stumbled to the bottom of the stairs, Milstreed shoved him and advanced toward him threateningly. Additional rioters surrounded the victim and continued the assault, dragging him through the crowd, grabbing his media identification lanyard and his face and neck.

After the riot, Milstreed sent messages to friends celebrating his participation in the riot and his assaults on law enforcement and media members. Around 8:00 p.m. that evening, Milstreed told one individual, "We f— them federal cops up. They all ran when we got physical. LMFAO[.]” He then added, "Time for war."

six months in prison

• Texas Man Sentenced for Felony Conviction For Actions During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

A Texas man was sentenced today for a felony conviction for his actions during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Geoffrey Shough, 38, of Austin, Texas, was sentenced to six months in prison for interfering with a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder. Shough pleaded guilty on August 16, 2022. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered 12 months of supervised release, and restitution of $2,000.

According to court documents, on Jan. 6, 2021, Shough attended a rally near the Ellipse and then marched with others to the U.S. Capitol. By approximately 1:50 p.m., he was with a crowd of rioters illegally on the West Lawn of the Capitol grounds. He was wearing a jacket over a body armor vest. Shough carried and waved a large Texas flag and cheered as other rioters attacked and then overwhelmed law enforcement officers nearby on the Northwest steps. Shough then moved to a courtyard outside the Senate Wing Door. Shough was among the first individuals in the crowd that overwhelmed officers during the breach of the Senate Wing Door at approximately 2:48 p.m.

After the rioters overwhelmed the officers, Shough engaged in a very animated conversation with one or more of the officers. During his plea hearing, he acknowledged telling the officers that they “should go home.” He traveled through the Crypt, past the House Wing Door, and through the Hall of Columns before finally exiting the Capitol at approximately 3:03 p.m.

Shough was arrested on March 1, 2022, in Austin.

This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

The case is being investigated by the FBI San Antonio Central Texas Joint Terrorism Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which identified Shough as #256 on its seeking information photos, as well as the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Capitol Police.

In the 26 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,000 individuals have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including more than 320 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.