WASHINGTON — The first rioter who breached the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack was sentenced to more than four years in federal prison after telling a judge Tuesday that he believed Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 election “to this day.”
Michael Sparks in the weeks leading up to the Capitol attack eats up and repeats right-wing lies about the recent presidential electionThe Proud Boys were sentenced to 53 months in federal prison at a hearing before US District Judge Timothy J. Kelly, who also oversaw the seditious conspiracy trial.
“I’m an American citizen who believes we’re oppressed to this day,” Sparks told Kelly, adding that he believes the conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was “taken away from the American people.”
Kelly emphasized that Sparks has the right to believe any conspiracy theory he wants, no matter how far from reality, but not the right to attack the Capitol.
“I really don’t think you appreciate the full gravity of what happened that day and, frankly, the full seriousness of what you did,” Kelly said, explaining why he moved to the 15- to 21-month sentence guidelines.
“Many of us would like to see our country deal with different challenges differently,” said Kelly, a Trump appointee, but that didn’t give people permission to act like Sparks. Given his support from the community and his lack of criminal history, Kelly said there is “no obvious explanation” for what Sparks did on Jan. 6, 2021.
“What happened on January 6th cannot happen again,” Kelly said, adding that the rioters had interfered with a process “that is fundamental to the governance of our country.”
“What a dangerous precedent January 6 set. How it opened Pandora’s box,” he said. Before Jan. 6, America had a “perfect record” for a peaceful transfer of power, he noted, adding: “We can’t take it back. It’s gone.”
Sparks’ job got tough Supreme Court decision in June that affected the prosecution On January 6, the formal judicial process that was used against hundreds of defendants was prevented. Prosecutors dropped this charge before sentencing, however, Kelly said he could consider the behavior presented in court and said it was clear Sparks wanted to prevent the Electoral College vote from being counted.
Prosecutors pointed to evidence that Sparks announced that Trump would win decisively in the run-up to the 2020 election.
“Trump will win by a big margin. It won’t even be close,” he wrote, predicting that Trump would win 293 electoral votes (he won 232 votes, losing to Joe Biden’s 306 votes) while the election results were still being tallied.
After Biden’s victory, Sparks — like Trump — found it difficult to deal with defeat, and as January 6 approached, his rhetoric grew increasingly heated.
“Fire these clowns,” he wrote in late December 2020, according to evidence presented in court. “What if we humans drag you by the face?” he wrote On Christmas Eve, the then-House Speaker posted pictures of Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
Shortly before the attack, Sparks said he wanted a “civil war” and was willing to die for Trump. Long after January 6, Sparks continued to believe that proof of a massive vote-rigging scheme was just around the corner.
“They are trying to hide everything, but there are many lawsuits going on” he wrote January 9, 2022. “I really believe that they will expose the fraudulent elections.”
More than 1,400 defendants have been charged in connection with the January 6 attack, and more than 1,000 have been convicted. Many defendants received probation on Jan. 6, but more than 500 received sentences ranging from a few days behind bars to prison terms. 22 years in federal prisonIt was Kelly’s punishment for former Proud Boys chairman Enrique Tarrio.
On January 6, most of the defendants said they expected Trump to win in November and release them from prison. violent rioter David Dempseywho was He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in federal prison this month. Trump expressed his support for pardons and called the January 6 rioters “pledges“and”incredible patriots.”