Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump sit in the office of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as he protests inside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, Jan. 6, 2021.
Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images
that Arkansas guy Photograph He was sentenced on Wednesday to four and a half years in prison for placing his feet on a desk in the office of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Jan. 6, 2021.
Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to sentence Richard “Bigo” Barnett to more than seven years in prison for his actions before, during and after the U.S. Capitol riot.
They noted in a court filing that the photo of Barnett smiling in Pelosi’s office became “one of the most famous images of its time, symbolizing the mob’s seizure of sacred space and control of the political process from the nation’s elected leaders.” control of
Barnett’s lawyers have argued that he should not be held for more than six months. “Mr. Barnett, a 63-year-old retired firefighter and bull rider from rural Arkansas, came to DC for his first peaceful protest and was unfortunately involved in turning an ordinary Wednesday into what will forever be known as ‘January 6 day,'” his lawyer argued.
US District Judge Christopher Cooper disagreed and sentenced him to 54 months in prison.
Richard ‘Bigo’ Barnett arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse for jury selection for his trial on January 10, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Win McNamee | Getty Images
barnett is conviction January eight charges stemmed from the Capitol attack, which included theft of government property and the use of deadly or dangerous weapons to enter and remain within restricted buildings or grounds; in addition to the corona device, Barnett used a ten-pound Arm yourself with steel poles.
When Barnett was photographed, he became a widely known symbol of the riots reclining in a chair In Pelosi’s office, his feet are propped up and his pants are stuffed with what the government calls a “corona device.” Before leaving Pelosi’s office, Barnett took an envelope, which he later showed to cameras outside the Capitol.
He also admitted to leaving Pelosi what he later called a “nasty note.” It read, “Nancy, Bigo’s here,” and ended with a sexist expletive, referring to Pelosi.
Barnett express remorse Because of his behavior when he appeared in court to defend himself. “I shouldn’t have put my feet on the table,” Barnett told jurors. “I thought it was funny at the time,” he said, but in retrospect it seemed “rude.”
After his conviction, however, he insisted he was the victim of a “witch hunt” and said the jury that convicted him was “not the same jury I was with”.
Prosecutors pushed back on Barnett’s claim that he was inadvertently swept away by the crowd during the riots at the Capitol, saying in court documents that the evidence was clear that Barnett had come to Washington, D.C., to fight that day.
“Barnett realizes the importance of January 6th, 2021. He believes that if President-elect Joe Biden becomes President and is ready to ‘do whatever it takes’, America will be taken over by communists, (as he put it on social media said) ), including occupying the Capitol, to prevent this from happening,” their filing said.
“He prepared himself for this violent act by arming himself with a stun device and a 10-pound steel pole, both of which were capable of inflicting serious bodily harm. He then traveled to Washington, D.C., with these weapons,” the document said. Goes on, noting that he only left the Capitol after being hit by chemical spray — and then bragging about his actions to reporters.
After his arrest, “Barnett attempted to profit from his notoriety and criminal behavior,” including selling autographed photos of himself in Pelosi’s office, prosecutors said. Since his conviction, he has been tweeting “disinformation” and conspiracy theories about the Jan. 6 attack, they added.
The statements, they said, demonstrate “that he has no remorse and would happily engage in similar conduct in the future.”
Dareh Gregorian reported from New York, and Ryan J. Reilly and Daniel Barnes from Washington.