Jailed for 7 years over raid on Capitol

A Texas militia member who took a gun to the US Capitol riot and threatened his own children to keep quiet has been sentenced to more than seven years in prison, the longest term for a participant in the January 6 riot.

Guy Reffitt, 49, was convicted in March of bringing a gun to Washington, interfering with police and impeding an official proceeding – the certification by congress of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.

Reffitt, a member of a rightwing militia called the Texas Three Percenters, was also found guilty of obstruction for threatening his teenaged son and daughter if they spoke to law enforcement about his involvement in the attack on the Capitol in support of deposed president Donald Trump.

Reffitt’s then 18-yearold son did go to the FBI despite his father’s warning that “traitors get shot” and delivered emotional testimony against his father in court.

US District Judge Dabney Friedrich sentenced Reffitt to 87 months in prison, the stiffest sentence meted out to a Capitol riot defendant so far.

Two men who pleaded guilty to assaulting police officers were sentenced previously to 63 months in prison.

Lawyer Matthew Graves said Reffitt’s sentence “holds him accountable for his violent, unconscionable conduct”.

“Guy Reffitt came to the Capitol on January 6 armed and determined to instigate violence,” Graves said. “He and others contributed to the many assaults on law enforcement officers that day, putting countless more people – including legislators – at risk.”

More than 850 people have been arrested for their roles in the January 6 insurrection, and about 330 have pleaded guilty to various charges.

The storming of the Capitol left at least five people dead and 140 police officers injured and followed a fiery speech by Mr Trump (pictured above) to thousands of his supporters during which he told them to march on the Capitol.