Jan. 6 Rioter Who Reclined in Pelosi’s Office Given Sentence of More Than 4 Years
An Arkansas man infamous for placing his foot on a desk in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during an attack on the Capitol by supporters of President Donald J. Trump was sentenced Wednesday to four and a half years in prison.
The man, Richard “Bigo” Barnett, was found guilty. At a trial in January Eight criminal offenses including interfering with law enforcement during civil disorder and obstructing the certification of the 2020 elections scheduled for January 6, 2021 at the Capitol.
After deliberating for less than three hours, a jury in a federal district court in Washington rejected Mr. Barnett’s testimony that he had searched the bathroom in Ms. Pelosi’s office suite and that he had 950,000 volts. Stun guns were being carried that day. was not working.
Prosecutors argued during the trial that Mr. Barnett, 63, arrived at the Capitol “prepared for violence” and intended to stop Mr. Trump from leaving office after he lost the 2020 election.
In court papers filed before the sentencing, prosecutors accused Mr. Barnett of stealing copyright protections for Ms. Pelosi’s office by selling autographed photos of her with her feet propped up on a desk and an obscene note. Wants to take advantage of his case by considering getting. He left Ms. Pelosi that day, reading in part, “Hey Nancy, Bigo was here.”
On Wednesday, prosecutors sought to emphasize the lasting injuries inflicted by the rioters. He quoted Ms. Pelosi’s staff member Emily Barrett as recalling eight colleagues who were trapped inside the speaker’s office when the mob first overran the Capitol, followed by six outside public service. Done.
Prosecutors also accused Mr. Barnett of lying several times in testimony during his trial, adding that he “showed disrespect for all authority.”
“Barnett recognizes no authority but himself and is willing to do ‘whatever it takes’ to get what he wants,” prosecutors wrote, “even if it means harming others, need to steal or break the law.”
Just before handing down the sentence, Judge Christopher Cooper said he was troubled by the way Mr Barnett had tried to play down his notoriety.
“You’re 63 years old; you’re too old for this nonsense,” he said. “But for better or worse you’ve become one of the faces of January 6, and I think you have Will enjoy.”
Mr Barnett was among the first defendants arrested in connection with the January 6 attack and soon became one of the most notorious rioters, along with figures such as Jacob Chanceley, the so-called QAnon Shaman, who stormed the building in a horned helmet. Rushed. And later it was Sentenced to 41 months imprisonment.
Mr. Barnett has also frequently and verbally criticized the Justice Department for overreaching in its efforts to investigate the Capitol attack. He has also accused police officers who defended the lawmakers that day of using excessive force to provoke the attack on the building.
His lawyers, Jonathan Gross and Bradford Gear, asked Judge Cooper to sentence Mr. Barnett to just one year in prison and give him credit for the nearly four months he spent behind bars before his trial. Lawyers said in court papers that Mr Barnett still believed police used a “disproportionate response” during the attack.
“Mr. Barnett is outspoken about his political views and has attended dozens of rallies in his life, but has always been peaceful, never violent,” the lawyers wrote.
Justice Department officials say more than 480 people have been convicted so far in connection with the capital attack, and about 275 are serving at least some time in prison. From the conditions. 14 years high Just days behind bars.