TORONTO – An Arkansas man who was photographed with his feet propped up on a desk in former house speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison yesterday, reported Anadolu Agency.
Richard “Bigo” Barnett, 62, was convicted in January on eight counts – four felonies and four misdemeanours – related to the attack on the Capitol.
“Barnett was found guilty on January 23, 2023, of all charges including obstruction of an official proceeding, interfering with a police officer during a civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous or deadly weapon, (and) disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a dangerous weapon, all of which are felonies,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
Barnett’s photo in Pelosi’s office has become one of the most well-known images from the Capitol riot.
US district judge Christopher Cooper noted that Barnett did not take any responsibility for his actions as he handed down his sentence yesterday, according to media reports.
Five people died from the violence on Capitol Hill on January 6, and the Capitol building was badly damaged. Four law enforcement officers committed suicide in the aftermath.
The attack marked the first time the Capitol had been occupied since British forces torched it during the War of 1812. – Bernama, May 25, 2023
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