First Rioter to Breach US Capitol on January 6 Sentenced to Nearly 4.5 Years in Prison

Washington DC, August 28:
The first rioter to access the US Capitol building during the riots of January 6, 2021 was handed a sentence of roughly four and a half years in jail, according to The Hill. A federal jury found 47-year-old Michael Sparks guilty on six counts in March. The charges included unlawfully tampering with law enforcement and preventing Congress from certifying the 2020 election results.

The United States District Judge Timothy Kelly, acting on a motion by the prosecution, removed the obstruction of an official proceeding allegation against Sparks earlier this month. This decision followed a June Supreme Court decision that limited the use of the charge in cases involving January 6.

The judge ruled on Tuesday that, for sentencing purposes, he believed Sparks's motive was to hinder the certification, as reported by The Hill.

A 53-month jail term and 2,000 USD in reparation to the Capitol Architect were also imposed by the judge. Michael Sparks's sentence was different from the advice of federal sentencing guidelines, which called for a jail term between fifteen and twenty-one months. A probation officer had recommended a 21-month term, as Kelly testified.

Addressing the judge, Sparks stated his belief that the 2020 presidential election was "taken" and that the United States is "in tyranny." Yet he went on to say that he had no ill will against the police. That's not Sparks, he reportedly told The Hill.

An earlier rioter, Proud Boy Dominic Pezzola, had broken a window in the Capitol, and footage from the disturbances showed Sparks leaping through the broken pane of glass. He encountered US Capitol Police Sergeant Victor Nichols upon entering the Capitol.