Area man sentenced for role in Jan. 6 riot
Montgomery County protester draws prison, house arrest for entering the U.S. Capitol
WASHINGTON » A Norristown man will spend three weeks in federal prison as well as a term of house arrest and probation in connection with his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Carson S. Lucard, 27, exact address unavailable, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., to 21 days of intermittent confinement, to be served in three intervals of seven days each, according to federal court documents.
The sentence imposed on June 24 by U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell also included 60 days of home detention, three months probation, and $500 in restitution.
In March, Lucard, pleaded guilty to a charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol Building, a charge that carried a possible maximum sentence of six months in prison.
According to a statement of offense document signed by Lucard and filed by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Grace Albinson, trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, Lucard traveled to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 with Brian E. Stenz, “a friend from the neighborhood,” to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally and then marched to the Capitol.
At approximately 2:50 p.m. Lucard entered the Capitol, without Stenz, through a window at the Senate Wing door that had been previously shattered, about three minutes after the second breach of that entrance, prosecutors alleged in court documents.
“Lucard lingered in the foyer and yelled and chanted things at the police officers guarding the area,” prosecutors alleged, adding he left through
the Senate Wing doors at about 3:05 p.m., about 15 minutes after he entered.
At 3:07 p.m., Lucard chose to enter the Capitol for a second time, this time accompanied by Stenz, walking past the shattered glass on the ground and an overturned cabinet, prosecutors wrote in the statement of offense document.
Lucard then entered the office of Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, prosecutors alleged.
Lucard and Stenz then traveled to the crypt where they took a selfie, court documents alleged. Lucard, prosecutors said, exited the Capitol building about eight minutes later at about 3:15 p.m.
In total, Lucard spent 23 minutes inside the Capitol building.
“Lucard knew at the time he entered the Capitol building that that he did not have permission to enter the building and the defendant paraded, demonstrated or picketed,” Graves and Albison wrote in court papers.
Lucard was not accused of attacking police or destroying any property at the Capitol.
Stenz, 51, who according to court documents listing an address along Sycamore Lane in East Norriton, was sentenced in February to 14 consecutive days of incarceration, two months of home detention, three months of probation and $500 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to a charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building as part of a plea agreement, according to court records.
In a statement of offense signed by Stenz prosecutors alleged that “following the riot, Stenz sent a series of photographs via text message to several individuals.”
“One of the photographs showed Stenz and his friend inside the Capitol building on January 6, 2021. Other photographs were of various areas inside the Capitol, including the crypt, and the office of Senator Jeff Merkley,” prosecutors wrote in court papers.
On April 16, 2021, Stenz was interviewed by law enforcement officers. Stenz admitted that he entered the Capitol and also admitted that he used his phone to take photographs in and around the Capitol building, court papers indicate.
“Stenz knew at the time he entered the U.S. Capitol Building that that he did not have permission to enter the building and the defendant paraded, demonstrated or picketed,” prosecutors wrote.
Court documents indicate law enforcement became aware of Stenz after a person who received text messages from Stenz provided information to the police. Those text messages from Stenz contained photographs of Stenz inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to court documents.