A Maryland man who draped himself in a far right-affiliated flag and sprayed a hearth extinguisher at police in the course of the lethal Capitol assault on January 6 has been sentenced to just about three years in jail, in keeping with federal courtroom information.
Matthew Ryan Miller, 23, pleaded responsible in February to felony obstruction of an official continuing – that day’s joint congressional session to certify Joe Biden’s win over Donald Trump within the 2020 presidential election – in addition to assaulting, resisting or impeding law enforcement officials.
At a listening to on Monday, Miller was sentenced to 2 years and 9 months. Choose Randolph Moss additionally ordered Miller to spend two years on probation after his launch and to pay $2,000 in restitution.
Federal prosecutors had requested the choose for a sentence of 4 years and three months. Searching for leniency for his shopper, Miller’s lawyer, A Eduardo Balarezo, argued that the defendant was abusing alcohol and marijuana and due to this fact was not pondering logically on the day of the Capitol riots.
“Matthew is a younger man who made a horrible choice,” Balarezo wrote in a courtroom submitting forward of the sentencing. “He acknowledges that his private conduct and participation within the riot weren't born of a rational choice however quite had been fueled by alcohol and marijuana abuse.
“He absolutely accepts duty for what he has carried out and isn't making excuses.”
Balarezo additionally condemned Trump’s claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him by electoral fraudsters as “lies” that drove Miller to affix different Trump supporters within the nation’s capital on the day the riots occurred as a result of he thought “it will be cool to be a part of historical past”.
In accordance with prosecutors, Miller had traveled from his dwelling in Cooksville, Maryland, and donned a black cowboy hat and a Washington Capitals jersey. He additionally tied round his neck the flag of Maryland and the Gadsden flag, which exhibits a hissing snake on a yellow background and is in style with far-right extremists.
A abstract of the case endorsed by Miller mentioned he used a steel barrier as a ladder to climb a Capitol wall earlier than urging others to assist him push in opposition to police, waving his hand and shouting, “Come on,” in addition to “One, two, three, push!” whereas his companions yelled, “Heave! Ho!” and rhythmically pressed on in direction of a tunnel entrance being guarded by officers.
Within the tunnel, Miller sprayed a hearth extinguisher at officers, prosecutors wrote in information. One other mob member, Robert Palmer, picked up that extinguisher and sprayed it at officers, earlier than tossing it at them. Palmer pleaded responsible to a task within the riot and acquired a jail sentence of 5 years and three months.
There was proof Miller had been to a minimum of one rally staged by the Proud Boys, a far-right group categorized by the FBI as “extremist”, which had members on the forefront of the Capitol assault. But prosecutors didn't present any proof or allege that Miller was working with the Proud Boys that day, although they famous that he did belong to a corporation which named itself the Patriotic American Cowboys.
A bipartisan Senate report linked seven deaths to the Capitol assault. Greater than 840 individuals have been charged with federal crimes associated to the January 6 riot, and practically 300 of them have pleaded responsible, largely to misdemeanors. About 160 of them had been sentenced getting into this month.
The Related Press contributed to this report
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