January 6 rioter gets record sentence for role in Capitol attack

Washington DC - A January 6 rioter who was on the front lines of the storming of the Capitol was sentenced to a record 14 years in prison by a federal judge.

Peter Schwartz received what is so far the longest sentence of anyone involved in the January 6 Capitol attack.
Peter Schwartz received what is so far the longest sentence of anyone involved in the January 6 Capitol attack.  © US Department of Justice

Peter Schwartz received what is so far the longest sentence of anyone involved in the attack.

The 49-year-old, who had dozens of previous convictions, came armed with a tire knocker that day, and prosecutors claim he was the first to throw a folding chair at the police line guarding the Capitol's Lower West Terrace.

"By throwing that chair, Schwartz directly contributed to the fall of the police line that enabled rioters to flood forward and take over the entire terrace," they argued in a memo.

Woman hit with terrorism charges over use of "Delay, deny, depose" in call with insurance provider
Crime Woman hit with terrorism charges over use of "Delay, deny, depose" in call with insurance provider

Schwartz also used pepper spray on cops and also assisted in pushing against police resisting the surge of violent Donald Trump supporters in a Capitol tunnel entrance.

All this earned him a sentence of 262 in prison from US District Judge Amit Mehta, who rejected the Kentucky man's declarations of remorse.

"You are not a political prisoner, Mr. Schwartz," the judge said, per NBC News. "You are not [Russian opposition activist] Alexei Navalny."

According to The Associated Press, Schwartz had managed to raise more than $71,000 through his "Patriot Pete Political Prisoner in DC" campaign. Though the prosecution asked for him to be fined that exact sum, but Judge Mehta rejected the request.

On Thursday, four members of the far-right group Proud Boys were convicted for seditious conspiracy related to the attack.

Cover photo: US Department of Justice

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