Man who smoked marijuana in Senate office on Jan. 6 sentenced to prison
A New York man who was part of the mob of former President Donald J. Trump’s supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, then smoked a joint in a senator’s office, was sentenced Thursday to three and a half years in prison . years in prison.
The conviction of the man, Brandon Craig Fellows, came about six months after a federal jury in Washington, D.C. convicted him of obstruction of an official proceeding, a misdemeanor and several misdemeanors, including illegally entering and remaining in a building unauthorized had been granted for.
Judge Trevor N. McFadden, who was appointed to the federal bench by Mr. Trump, sentenced Mr. Fellows to 37 months in prison on the riot-related charge, plus five months on the contempt charge.
Mr. Fellows, 29, of Schenectady, gained some notoriety when, after entering the Capitol through a broken window and walking into the Senate wing of the building carrying a “Trump 2020” flag, he went to the private office of Senator Jeff Merkley . Democrat of Oregon, according to court documents and news reports.
Once in Mr. Merkley’s office, court documents show, Mr. Fellows plopped down in a chair, put his feet up on a conference table and lit a joint.
“What is your message?” a rioter livestreaming the lawlessness asked Mr. Fellows, according to court documents.
“Man, oh man, we got mad,” Mr. Fellows responded. “We ripped it out of the hands of these police officers.” The altercation was followed by an outburst of laughter, court documents show.
A spokeswoman for Senator Merkley declined to comment. Mr Fellows, who represented himself at the trial, could not be reached for comment.
According to the Justice Department, Mr. Fellows is among more than 1,300 people charged in connection with the January 6 riot. He and other Trump supporters attacked the Capitol in an attempt to stop the certification of Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election. A federal investigation into the day’s events continues.
Mr. Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination in this year’s presidential election, faces federal charges of conspiracy and other crimes stemming from the riot. He has pleaded not guilty and maintains he is immune from prosecution on the charges. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court agreed to decide the issue, scheduling arguments in the case for the week of April 22 and temporarily freezing the trial.
Mr. Fellows attended Mr. Trump’s speech and the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6 before descending on the Capitol with the rest of the crowd, according to court documents. After arriving at the building, Mr. Fellows joined a group of rioters outside an entrance and filmed a chaotic scene in which a person rammed a door with a stick in an attempt to force it open, court records show.
Later, after leaving Senator Merkley’s office, Mr. Fellows, according to court documents, left the building with other rioters, harassing two Capitol Police officers on the way out.
Once outside, court records show, Mr. Fellows gave an interview to a news network in which he described the actions of other rioters as “breaking and entering” and referred to his own marijuana use. “There’s just a whole group of people lighting up a room in Oregon,” he said.
Court records show that in the days after the riot, Mr. Fellows described his actions on January 6 in social media posts.
“It brought joy to my heart to see these members terrified for their lives,” he wrote in a post, according to court documents, referring to lawmakers. “For what they have done and continue to do to this country, I hope they live in constant fear.”