A Jan. 6 defendant the Division of Justice described as a home terrorist was sentenced to 87 months in jail Monday, the longest sentence handed out to a Jan. 6 rioter to date.
Man Reffitt, a 49-year-old man from Texas, was discovered responsible of 5 felonies by a federal jury in March, together with transporting a firearm, bringing a firearm to a restricted space, and obstruction of justice after he threatened his youngsters in the event that they reported him to legislation enforcement.
He’ll additionally serve three years of supervised probation, throughout which period he’s prohibited from associating with extremist teams just like the Texas Three Percenters, Oath Keepers and Texas Freedom Pressure.
Federal sentencing pointers referred to as for a jail sentence of between 9 years and 11 years and three months, however the DOJ sought 15, casting Reffitt as a home terrorist in a courtroom submitting forward of his sentencing ― a primary for a Jan. 6 defendant.
“He didn’t simply need President Trump to stay in workplace,” Assistant U.S. Lawyer Jeffrey Nestler instructed the choose Monday. “He needed to bodily and actually take away members of Congress from energy. We consider he's a home terrorist.”
U.S. District Decide Dabney Friedrich wasn’t persuaded by the argument, nevertheless, and denied the terrorism enhancement, citing considerations about an “unwarranted sentencing disparity” in comparison with different Jan. 6 defendants who took plea offers as an alternative of going to trial.
In an announcement earlier than his sentencing, Reffitt expressed contrition for the primary time, having beforehand referred to as himself a martyr and a patriot, and even reaffirmed his actions in a letter despatched to the choose.
“I wish to make a number of apologies,” he instructed the courtroom, in line with WUSA9 reporter Jordan Fischer. “I used to be, to place it colorfully, a fucking fool.”
At his trial, federal prosecutors stated Reffitt was a member of the Texas Three Percenters, an extremist militia group that was among the many first waves of rioters to instigate violence on the west facet of the Capitol Constructing.
As proof, they performed a video of Reffitt attending a Zoom assembly with different members following the riot the place he bragged about enduring “clay bullets” and being “bear sprayed” amid the violence, and telling one of many cops who tried to repel him, “Sorry, darling, you higher get a much bigger rattling gun.”
In one other video, filmed by a digicam mounted on Reffitt’s helmet, he might be heard urging on others within the crowd.
“I didn’t come right here to play video games. I’m taking the Capitol with all people fucking else,” he says at one level. “We’re all going to tug them motherfuckers out kicking and screaming. I don’t give a shit. I simply wish to see [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi’s head hit each fucking stair on the way in which out.”
Reffitt’s son, Jackson Reffitt, instructed jurors through the trial that his father threatened to shoot him and his 16-year-old sister in the event that they tipped off the FBI about his involvement within the violence that day.
“When you flip me in, you’re a traitor and you recognize what occurs to traitors ... traitors get shot,” he allegedly stated.
Jackson Reffitt had reported his father to the FBI earlier than the riot, having grown involved by his more and more radical, anti-government statements.
“There have been clearly indicators he was getting concerned with a variety of totally different folks and a variety of unhealthy folks,” Jackson Reffitt instructed ABC Information.
“Listening to my father was there ― it was completely disgusting,” he stated. “And just about demoralizing. And I actually misplaced all respect for him in that second.”
In a letter learn on the sentencing Monday, Jackson Reffitt expressed concern for his father’s psychological well being, saying he’s “slowly misplaced himself over time” and “fallen right into a horrible group to discover a place on this life.”
Post a Comment