A judge sentenced Ray Epps, a man caught on tape encouraging demonstrators to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6th, to one year probation for his role in the Capitol riot.
Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia James Boasberg sentenced Epps to 12 months probation after Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors recommended Epps serve six months in jail for his conduct on and ahead of the Jan. 6th, 2021 Capitol attack. He is also ordered to pay $500 restitution. (RELATED: Biden Compares Jan 6 Protesters To Confederate Soldiers, Dubs It Second ‘Lost Cause’)
WHILE YOU WERE WATCHING TRUMP: Ray Epps was sentenced by Chief Judge Boasberg to a year of probation for his role in the Jan. 6 attack. pic.twitter.com/0QtPy1Dxnf
— Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney) January 9, 2024
Epps pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count for disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds in September after coming to a deal with federal prosecutors.
Epps’ legal team suggested he serve a probationary sentence in response to prosecutors’ sentencing memo arguing for six months probation.
“For the reasons above, on behalf of Ray Epps, undersigned counsel requests that the Court impose a probationary sentence with conditions that may but do not necessarily include a firearms restriction, restitution of $500, and the mandatory $25 special assessment,” Epps legal team concluded.
Livestream footage taken on the night of Jan. 5, 2021 showed Epps in a crowd of Trump supporters encouraging them to go inside the Capitol on the day of Jan. 6th.
I hope Tucker’s lawyers force Ray Epps to explain why he was never arrested by the FBI despite literally telling people to go into the Capitolpic.twitter.com/rh0ydFdzBE
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 12, 2023
“We’re far beyond that. In fact, tomorrow—I don’t even like to say it because I’ll be arrested—we need to go IN to the Capitol. We’re here to defend the Constitution. [. . .] I’m going to put this out there. I’m probably going to jail for it. Tomorrow, we need to go IN to the Capitol. IN to the Capitol. Peacefully,” Epps could be heard saying.
The footage generated widespread speculation that Epps was a federal agent because he had not yet been charged for his role on Jan. 6th. Epps blamed Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson and Fox News for federal prosecutors’ decision to charge him in a defamation lawsuit against the network.
Over 1,200 Jan. 6th defendants from across the U.S. have been charged in three years since the attack, according to a DOJ update.
More than 500 of the defendants have pleaded guilty to misdemeanors.