(TheLastPatriotNews.com) – In a new bout of repression against January 6, 2021, protesters, Michael Sparks, the first individual to enter the Capitol, has been slammed by a judge for his role during the protest and sentenced to just under four and a half years in federal prison.
In March, Sparks, a 47-year-old from Kentucky, was convicted on six counts, including interference with law enforcement and obstruction of Congress’s certification of the 2020 presidential election results.
However, following a Supreme Court decision that restricted the use of the obstruction charge in January 6-related cases, a count against Sparks was dropped earlier this month.
Despite this, US District Judge Timothy Kelly noted during sentencing that Sparks’s intent was to obstruct the certification process.
Judge Kelly ordered Sparks to serve 53 months in prison and pay $2,000 in restitution to the Architect of the Capitol, The Hill reports.
This sentence significantly exceeds the federal guidelines, which recommend 15 to 21 months of incarceration—a probation officer had suggested a 21-month term.
In court, Sparks firmly stated his belief that the 2020 election was unjustly decided and described the US as suffering under “tyranny.”
He insisted, “It never was my intention” to incite violence or confront law enforcement officials, declaring, “That’s not who I am.”
Evidence from the day shows Sparks entering the Capitol through a window broken by Dominic Pezzola, a member of the Proud Boys.
Inside, Sparks immediately encountered US Capitol Police Sergeant Victor Nichols.
Assistant US Attorney Emily Allen highlighted Nichols’s decision not to use his firearm as a critical moment that averted a potential “deadly tragedy.”
Before delivering a victim impact statement and visibly emotional, Nichols implored the court to recognize Sparks’s role in catalyzing the subsequent disorder, which he described as a “wave of chaos.”
Judge Kelly remarked on the significant influence of Sparks’s actions, noting that his precedence in entering the Capitol had a motivating and enabling impact on others.
“You went through, and he went through, and many, many more went through,” he observed.
Prosecutors argued that Sparks effectively signaled to other rioters that entry was possible, noting, “Mr. Sparks was the test,” according to Allen.
“He made it in safely, so the rest did indeed follow,” he added.
Countering claims of leadership, Sparks’s lawyer, Scott Wendelsdorf, argued that Sparks was not a ringleader but rather disengaged from the protest when it became clear that then-Vice President Mike Pence would not intervene in the election results.
Prosecutors requested a 57-month sentence for Sparks, emphasizing his preparatory actions, like wearing body armor, indicative of anticipating physical confrontations with law enforcement.
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