Capitol Rioter Sentenced To 87 Months In Prison

Guy Reffitt, convicted of five felony offenses – including obstruction of Congress as it met to certify the 2020 election result, interfering with police and carrying a firearm to a riot – has been sentenced to 87 months in prison. Following the deadly riots on January 6 at the U.S. Capitol building, Reffitt (a member of the far-right Three Percenters) threatened his teenage son and daughter. “If you turn me in, you’re a traitor, and traitors get shot,” his son testified at the trial.

First Capitol rioter convicted at trial receives stiffest Jan. 6 sentence yet: More than 7 years for leading a mob while armed https://t.co/DfeqAFIzTT

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) August 1, 2022

More from the Washington Post:

U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich condemned Reffitt’s conduct in handing down an 87 month sentence, saying at a five-hour hearing that his views espousing political violence were “absurd,” “delusional” and “way outside of the mainstream.”

Reffitt “played a central role” at the head of a vigilante mob that challenged and overran police at a key choke point, a stairway leading up from the Lower West Terrace, before the initial breach of windows near the Capitol’s Senate Wing Doors at 2:13 p.m., prosecutors said.

Reffitt recorded himself at a rally led by President Donald Trump at the Ellipse saying he was ready to drag lawmakers including House Speaker Nancy A. Pelosi (D-Calif.), and then Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) “out kicking and screaming,” with “her [Pelosi’s] head hitting every step on the way down.”

Friedrich’s sentence of Reffitt fell at the bottom of the 87 month to 108 month prison term called for under advisory federal guidelines for his conduct, the judge said.

Read the full report here. Reffitt was the first January 6 defendant to go to trial. A friend testified at trial that Reffitt traveled to D.C. from his Texas home with an AR-style rifle and semiautomatic .40-caliber handgun. He repeatedly declared his intention to come armed with a guns and plastic handcuffs to drag lawmakers out of the building. Related: Capitol Rioter Gets 5+ Years In Prison At the sentencing hearing today, Reffitt described himself as “a f**king idiot” and was “not thinking clearly” when he tried to storm the U.S. Capitol. “I clearly f**ked up,” Reffitt said. “I did want to definitely make an apology, multiple apologies really, and accept my responsibility because I do hate what I did.” He also told the judge that he no longer want to associate with militia groups or “or any stupid s**t like that.”

BREAKING: Self-identified “fucking idiot” Guy Reffitt sentenced to 7.25 years in federal prison in his Capitol attack case. The longest Jan. 6 sentence to date, but no terrorism enhancement. Story here with @dnlbrns: https://t.co/poWEoeGZPN

— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 1, 2022

Fucked around. Found out.

— Vapusa 🇪🇺 🇬🇧 (@Vapusa1) August 1, 2022

pic.twitter.com/xqtniBFGOG

— CAdad1daughter (@SoCalDrummerT) August 1, 2022