(NewsReady.com) – It’s been over three years since an angry group attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The Department of Justice has charged hundreds of people for their behavior that day. Now, a court has sentenced another one to jail time.
On April 3, US District Judge Royce C. Lamberth sentenced 40-year-old Taylor James Johnatakis to 87 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution. In November 2023, a federal jury convicted the Kingston, Washington resident on three felony charges, including civil disorder, obstruction of an official proceeding, and assaulting, resisting, and impeding officers. The jury also convicted him of four misdemeanors related to his presence in the Capitol Building.
According to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Johnatakis posted multiple messages on social media documenting his intent to go to the Capitol to obstruct the tallying of the electoral votes. In one post, he claimed he was going to “CHANGE the course of HISTORY.” In another, he said he was going to “burn the city down.”
Johnatakis carried a megaphone and led people to the Capitol grounds. As he yelled into the megaphone, authorities said tensions rose, and eventually, they began storming the building. Prosecutors accused the defendant of leading a group up scaffolding that was onsite to prepare for the inauguration.
At another point, Johnatakis “organized and coordinated other rioters to assault the police line.” At least one law enforcement officer suffered injuries as a result.
Ironically, Johnatakis is a self-proclaimed “Sovereign Citizen.” That is a far-right fringe group that believes they aren’t under the jurisdiction of federal and state governments. They consider themselves exempt from US law. They are an anti-government movement, but on January 6, Johnatakis was wearing a hat in support of the presidential administration at that time.
A jury of Johnatakis’ peers proved that he was, in fact, subject to federal law in the United States.
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