6 Jan. Rioter who reclined in Pelosi’s office was sentenced to more than 4 years in prison

An Arkansas man who became infamous for putting his foot on a desk in President Nancy Pelosi’s office during the attack on the Capitol by supporters of President Donald J. Trump was sentenced on Wednesday to four and a half years in prison.

The man, Richard “Bigo” Barnett, was found guilty of eight offenses at a trial in January, including obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder and obstructing the certification of the 2020 election that took place at the Capitol on Jan. 6 . 2021.

After deliberating for less than three hours, a jury in Washington’s Federal District Court rejected Mr. Barnett’s testimony that he had ended up in Ms. Pelosi’s office suite when he was looking for a bathroom and that the 950,000-volt stun gun that he was wearing that day didn’t work.

Prosecutors argued at trial that Mr. Barnett, 63, arrived at the Capitol “prepared for violence” and intended to prevent Mr. Trump from leaving office after he lost the 2020 election.

In court documents filed before the sentencing hearing, prosecutors charged Mr. Barnett wants to profit from his cause by selling autographed photos of himself reclining with his foot on a desk in Mrs. Pelosi’s office and considering seeking copyright protection for an obscene note. he left Mrs. Pelosi that day, reading in part, “Hey Nancy, Bigo was here.”

On Wednesday, prosecutors sought to highlight the lasting scars inflicted by the rioters. They cited Emily Berret, an associate of Ms. Pelosi’s who recalled that of the eight colleagues trapped in the speaker’s office when the mob first overwhelmed the Capitol, six left public service soon after.

Prosecutors also accused Mr Barnett of lying in testimony several times during his trial, adding that he showed “brutal disrespect for any form of authority he encountered”.

“Barnett recognizes no authority other than himself and is willing to ‘do whatever it takes’ to get what he wants,” the prosecutors wrote, “even if it harms others, steals or breaks the law.”

Just before he delivered the verdict, Judge Christopher Cooper said he was appalled at the way Mr Barnett had tried to cash in on his notoriety.

“You are 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’re enjoying it.”

Mr Barnett was one of the first defendants arrested in connection with the January 6 attack and quickly became one of the most well-known rioters, along with figures such as Jacob Chansley, the so-called QAnon shaman, who stormed the building with a horned helmet and was later sentenced to 41 months in prison.

Mr. Barnett has also frequently and vociferously criticized the Justice Department for going too far in its efforts to investigate the Capitol bombing. He also accused the police officers defending lawmakers that day of inciting the attack on the building using what he has described as excessive force.

His lawyers, Jonathan Gross and Bradford Geyer, had asked Judge Cooper to sentence Mr. Barnett to just one year in prison and to honor the nearly four months he had spent behind bars before his trial. The lawyers said in court documents 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.

So far, more than 480 people have been convicted in connection with the attack on the Capitol, and about 275 are serving at least some time in prison, Justice Department officials say. The terms ranged from up to 14 years to just days behind bars.