Arkansas man convicted of 8 crimes related to Capitol riot.
Richard “Bigo” Barnett, an Arkansas man who entered the U.S. Capitol with rioters on Jan. 6, 2021, was convicted Monday of eight federal crimes related to the incursion. He was photographed lounging at a desk in then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office suite and had left a crude message for her. The jury deliberated for less than two hours and found him guilty of all eight counts.
The most serious charge, obstructing an official government proceeding, carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. However, the advisory sentencing guidelines are likely to recommend a much shorter term. Barnett was allowed to remain on home detention in his small hometown in the Ozarks pending his sentencing, scheduled for May 3.
Barnett had been carrying a walking stick equipped with a high-voltage stun device when he entered the Capitol. He was an ardent supporter of former president Donald Trump, who had made claims of voter fraud in the November election.
The four felonies Barnett was convicted of include obstructing an official government proceeding, carrying a dangerous weapon in the Capitol, and civil disorder. He was also found guilty of four misdemeanors, including theft of government property, meaning the envelope he had taken from Pelosi’s office suite.
The jury’s conviction of Barnett is a reminder of the consequences of participating in the storming of the Capitol. It is a stark reminder that the government will not tolerate any form of disruption to the democratic process and will hold those accountable who attempt to disrupt it.
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