Justice Dept. to hunt longest sentence in any Jan. 6 Capitol riot case to this point

The Justice Division will search the longest jail sentence in any U.S. Capitol riot case subsequent week, when it argues on the sentencing of former New York Metropolis police officer and U.S. Marine Thomas Webster.

Webster, who as soon as served on the protecting element of former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, was convicted in a Washington, D.C., federal court docket in Might on costs of assaulting regulation enforcement.    

In a brand new court docket submitting forward of Thursday’s sentencing listening to, the Justice Division seeks a sentence of 210 months in jail for Webster — greater than 17 years. The sentence is almost the double the longest jail phrases handed down in any Capitol riot case to this point.

Prosecutors argue Webster “spearheaded” a breach in opposition to the police line on Jan. 6, 2021, and was accountable for “disgracing a democracy that he as soon as fought honorably to guard and serve.”

In his court docket submitting looking for leniency forward of the sentencing listening to, Webster disavowed claims of fraud within the 2020 election and included a letter of help from a good friend who blames former President Trump for “despicable lies.”

After a four-day trial, the jury convicted Webster in only a matter of hours.  

Prosecutors introduced a collection of photographs and movies of Webster as a part of their case, together with video of him swinging a flag pole at a police officer, forcefully sufficient to interrupt the pole.

After crossing onto restricted grounds, the federal government alleged Webster yelled at certainly one of officers, “You f***ing piece of shit. You f***ing Commie motherf***ers, man.” He then allegedly used the flagpole in opposition to the officer, swinging over the police line. 

Throughout trial, the Justice Division accused Webster of tackling Washington, D.C., police officer Noah Rathbun to the bottom, pushing in opposition to his fuel masks and pinning him, assaults that had been captured on police bodycam and open-source movies. 

In looking for the 17-year jail sentence, prosecutors argue Webster arrived on the Capitol “prepared for battle.”  They stated, “Not solely did he pack his NYPD-issued bulletproof vest, however he additionally packed his “off obligation” firearm — a Smith & Wesson Mannequin 640 revolver, sufficiently small to hide inside a jacket pocket.  Moreover, Webster introduced with him his military-issued rucksack containing Meals Prepared-to-Eat, water bottles, and Gatorade. To the rally and to the riot, he wore his bulletproof vest, and he carried a big metallic flagpole bearing the crimson and yellow flag of america Marine Corps.”

Webster seeks a sentence of “time-served,” and he desires credit score for the 127 days in pretrial detention within the case to rely towards the time period handed down by the decide. 

His protection argues Webster has been “disabused of any notion that the 2020 election was illegitimate.” In his sentencing memo, the protection workforce says promoters of 2020 election lies “have practically taken over one political social gathering.”

Although some Jan. 6 defendants have renounced election fraud claims throughout sentencing hearings, few have been strident of their statements. The memo from Webster units the stage for a doubtlessly colourful assertion at Thursday’s listening to. 

Webster’s protection additionally submitted a set of a personality letters lauding Webster for his police and U.S. Marine service. A kind of supporters cited the influence of “despicable lies” by former President Trump.

Webster’s sentencing listening to is scheduled for two p.m. Thursday in entrance of federal decide Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C. Although some Capitol riot case sentencing hearings have been staged nearly, Webster’s is scheduled to happen in-person on the courthouse.

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