WASHINGTON — A Colorado man who marched to the U.S. Capitol with members of the Proud Boys on Jan. 6, 2021 — and was one of many first rioters to enter the constructing — was sentenced Friday to 4 years in jail for attacking law enforcement officials with a chemical spray as they tried to carry off the mob of Trump supporters.
Robert Gieswein, of Woodland Park, was sporting a helmet, a flak jacket and goggles and was carrying a baseball bat when he stormed the Capitol. Gieswein, then 24, marched to the constructing from the Washington Monument with the Proud Boys however wasn’t a member of the group.
Gieswein repeatedly sprayed an “aerosol irritant” at law enforcement officials and pushed in opposition to a line of police, in response to a courtroom submitting accompanying his responsible plea to assault costs.
In March, Gieswein pleaded responsible to 2 costs of assaulting or interfering with a federal officer. Every depend carried a most sentence of as much as eight years in jail and a $250,000 superb. In trade for the responsible pleas, federal prosecutors agreed to dismiss 9 different counts they filed in opposition to Gieswein.
“You have been a foot soldier in probably the most disturbing riots our nation has seen in years,” U.S. District Choose Trevor McFadden instructed Gieswein, who will get credit score for the greater than two years that he already has served in custody.
Federal authorities have mentioned Gieswein gave the impression to be an adherent of the Three Percenters militia motion and ran a personal paramilitary coaching group known as the Woodland Wild Canine.
The FBI used quite a lot of video and pictures taken of Gieswein inside and outside the Capitol to establish him, his arrest affidavit states, in addition to an interview Gieswein gave a tv journalist the day earlier than the riot throughout which he referenced anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
Greater than 1,000 folks have been charged with federal crimes associated to the Capitol riot. Over 600 of them have pleaded responsible, whereas over 100 others have been convicted after a trial.
Denver Publish workers author Elise Schmelzer contributed to this report.
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