A Michigan man was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday of felony and misdemeanor for his role in the Trump-inspired Jan. 6 mob attack on Capitol that tried to prevent Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s election victory in 2020.
AnthonyRobert Williams 47, of Southgate, Michigan, was sentenced by Chief Justice Beryl Howell to three years’ supervised imprisonment and $2,000 in damages and a $5,000 fine, according to the US Department of Justice press release.
Operation Swampstorm veteran
Williams was among the first wave of rioters breaching the Capitol after breaching a line of police officers and scaling the railing. He
described himself as an “Operation Swamp Storm veteran” on several Facebook pages. META Post before the violent attack. Williams said he felt the Founding Fathers “smiling down on us” as he manned the Capitol while devoting himself to his patriotic duty of “storming the swamp.”
Prosecutors thought otherwise
“William’s involvement in the riots was purposeful, comprehensive, enthusiastic and relentless,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Outside the Capitol, prosecutors said Williams stole water bottles that police intended to use to decontaminate chemical spray.
Celebrated with a joint: “Williams advanced to the rotunda, where he partied with other rioters and smoked marijuana,” prosecutors wrote. “When police tried to force Williams out of the rotunda, he joined other rioters, put up active resistance and taunted the police.”
Williams was arrested in Detroit on March 26, 2021.
Until now more than 870 people were charged with federal felonies for violent conduct on January 6. More than 260 of them were convicted, with about half receiving prison sentences ranging from seven days to 10 years, the AP noted. Only five other Capitol Riot defendants sentenced to longer terms…
