(ConcernedPatriot.com) – During the Capitol Hill riots on January 6, an Arkansas man put his foot on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) desk. He was given a four-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
Richard “Bigo” Barnett was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after being found guilty in January of this year on eight counts, including felony charges of civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding.
Prosecutors had asked for a longer sentence—more than seven years—followed by three years of supervised release.
According to Fox News, “He ultimately received a sentence of four and a half years in prison and three years of supervised release.”
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has arrested Richard Barnett who entered the U.S. Capitol and put his feet up on Nancy Pelosi’s desk, according to DOJ officials. https://t.co/BuNSBOcfjl
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) January 10, 2021
Barnett’s feet on Pelosi’s desk and “Qanon Shaman” Jacob Chansley were among the riot’s most widely shared photos. He said during the trial that he accidentally walked into the previous house speaker’s office while looking for the restroom, where he posed for two waiting press photographers.
As a last remark, he wrote, “Nancy, Bigo was here, you bitch.”
Here’s Mr. Barnett, who goes by “Bigo,” telling the story in his own words pic.twitter.com/oSyKiCDXgy
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AllMattNYT) January 6, 2021
That day, he informed everyone, “We took back our house, and I took Nancy Pelosi’s office.” Barnett admitted to being caught up in the moment to his lawyer throughout the trial.
“I was just in the moment,” Barnett admitted. “At this point, I’m just kind of going with the flow.”
Barnett, a 62-year-old retired firefighter from Arkansas, expressed sorrow over attending the “Stop the Steal” event and claimed it embarrassed his family.
In a January court hearing, Barnett said, “Life was lost for two years. “Misery for my family.”
Barnett added that he would extend an apology to Nancy Pelosi. At his sentencing, he also told the court that he does not regret something he “did not do.”
He said, “I wasn’t treated fairly,” and claimed that “they want me to feel guilty for things I did not do.”
“This was an enigma in my life,” Barnett remarked. “Everyone had a difficult day on January 6… I acknowledge that I was angry, and I’m sorry.”
According to Barnett’s counsel, the government singled out Barnett because of the picture of him sitting at Nancy Pelosi’s desk.
Attorney for ‘Bigo’ Barnett, convicted after putting his feet up on Pelosi’s desk on J6, says his client was innocent because “he was pushed in” by “the surge” and he “fell in” to the Capitol, before he somehow “ended up in Speaker Pelosi’s offices.” pic.twitter.com/TPXPh1hOi5
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 25, 2023
Attorney for the defense, Jonathan Gross, stated in court, “Mr. Barnett is here because of the picture.” Richard Barnett was seated at a desk, which infuriated the authorities.
“Mr. Barnett never advocated using force. He never made any calls for rebellion. He was angry, but even then, his language was limited, and neither on January 6 nor on any other occasion did he call for actual violence,” according to the lawyers’ pre-trial briefs.
Due to the Capitol Hill disturbance on January 6, almost 1,000 persons have been charged following a wide range of expensive investigations.
“The study has been a costly and extensive undertaking. Every U.S. Attorney’s office and FBI field office have participated. “The U.S. Attorneys received $2.6 billion as part of the $1.7 trillion government spending package passed in December, in part to support the prosecutions that took place on January 6,” NPR reported in March.
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