Key witness in Oath Keepers prosecutions avoids prison sentence for Capitol riot role

Source: AP

Updated 5:45 PM EST, November 19, 2024


WASHINGTON (AP) — A Georgia man who stormed the U.S. Capitol with fellow members of the anti-government Oath Keepers extremist group was sentenced on Tuesday to probation and home detention instead of prison — a reward for helping prosecutors in one of the most consequential cases arising from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot.

Brian Ulrich pleaded guilty in 2022 to seditious conspiracy, which is the most serious criminal charge stemming from the attack on the Capitol by a mob of Donald Trump supporters. Judges at the federal courthouse in Washington, D.C., have continued to sentence Capitol riot defendants after the Nov. 5 election even though President-elect Trump has vowed to pardon Jan. 6 rioters once he returns to the White House in January.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta didn’t mention the prospect of mass pardons before he sentenced Ulrich to three years of probation with six months of home detention and 120 hours of community service. The judge said Ulrich deserves a “debt of gratitude” because his courageous acceptance of responsibility could help the nation “heal and move forward.”

“It shouldn’t be lost on this country that people were found guilty of seditious conspiracy,” Mehta said. “It is one of the most serious crimes that can be committed by an American.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/oath-keepers-capitol-riot-brian-ulrich-66aeca9788611e8feaf518d0f53e970b