The Arkansas man who was photographed on Jan. 6, 2021, with his feet up on a desk in the office of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was sentenced Wednesday to four and a half years in prison.
Federal prosecutors had asked the judge to sentence Richard «Bigo» Barnett to more than seven years for his actions before, during, and after the riot at the United States Capitol.
They noted in a court filing that an image of a smiling Barnett lounging in Pelosi’s office became «one of the best-known images of that day, symbolizing rioters wresting control of both sacred space and the political process from the elected leaders of the nation. .»
Barnett’s lawyers had argued that he should not spend more than six months behind bars. «Mr. Barnett is a 63-year-old retired firefighter and bull rider from rural Arkansas who first came to DC to peacefully protest and unfortunately became embroiled in the events that turned an ordinary Wednesday into what it has always been.» will be known as ‘January 6,'» their lawyers said.
US District Court Judge Christopher Cooper disagreed and sentenced him to 54 months in prison.
Barnett was convicted in January of eight charges arising from the attack on the Capitol, including theft of government property and entering and remaining in a restricted building or on restricted grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon; In addition to the stun device, Barnett armed himself with a ten-pound steel pole, prosecutors said.
Barnett became a widely known symbol of the riots when he was photographed reclining in a chair in Pelosi’s office, his feet propped up and what the government called a «stunning device» tucked into his pants. Before leaving Pelosi’s office, Barnett took an envelope which she later showed to cameras outside the Capitol.
He also acknowledged leaving what he later called a «nasty note» for Pelosi. He would say, “Nancy, Bigo was here,” and end with a sexist expletive to refer to Pelosi.
Barnett expressed remorse for his actions when he took the witness stand in his own defense. «I shouldn’t have put my feet up on the desk,» Barnett told the jury. «At the time I thought it was funny,» he said, but on reflection, it seems «rude.»
However, after he was convicted, he maintained that he was the victim of «political persecution» and said that the jury that convicted him «was not a jury of my peers.»
Prosecutors rejected Barnett’s claims that he had been unintentionally dragged away by the crowd during the Capitol riot and said in court documents that the evidence was clear that Barnett had come to Washington DC that day looking for a fight.
“Barnett was aware of the importance of January 6, 2021. He believed the communists would take over America if President-elect Biden became president and was prepared to do ‘whatever it takes’ (as he said on social media). ). ), including the occupation of the Capitol, to prevent that from happening,” the filing for him read.
«He prepared for that violence by arming himself with a stun device and a ten-pound steel pole, both capable of inflicting serious bodily injury. And then he traveled to Washington, DC with those weapons,» the filing continued, noting that he only left the Capitol. after he was doused with a chemical and later bragged about his actions to reporters.
After his arrest, «Barnett sought to capitalize on his notoriety and criminal conduct,» including selling autographed photographs of himself at Pelosi’s office, prosecutors said. They added that he has continued to tweet «misinformation» and conspiracy theories about the January 6 attack since his conviction.
They said those statements show he «has no remorse and would be willing to engage in similar conduct in the future.»
Dareh Gregorian reported from New York, Ryan J. Reilly and Daniel Barnes reported from Washington.