Zinger Key Points
- Defendant was among first to enter the Capitol building where he resisted law enforcement officers in the Rotunda.
- To celebrate swamp-draining efforts, he and fellow rioters smoked weed inside the Rotunda.
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A Michigan man was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison on felony and misdemeanor charges for his role in the Trump-inspired Jan. 6 mob attack on the Capitol that sought to disrupt Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.
Anthony Robert Williams 47, of Southgate, Michigan was also sentenced by Chief Judge Beryl Howell to three years of supervised release after his prison term and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution and a $5,000 fine, according to a U.S. Justice Department news release.
Operation Swamp Storm Veteran
Williams was among the first wave of rioters to breach the Capitol after having broken through a line of police officers and scaling the railings. He called himself an “Operation Swamp Storm Veteran” on multiple Facebook META posts prior to the violent attack. Williams said he felt the Founding Fathers “smiling down on us” while occupying the Capitol while engaging in what he seemed to feel was his patriotic duty to “storm the swamp.”
Prosecutors Thought Otherwise
“Williams’ participation in the riot was purposeful, extensive, enthusiastic, and remorseless,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing.
Outside the Capitol, Williams stole water bottles that police intended to use for decontaminating themselves from chemical spray, according to prosecutors.
Celebrated With A Joint: “Williams advanced to the Rotunda where he celebrated with other rioters and smoked marijuana,” prosecutors wrote. “When the police tried to force Williams out of the Rotunda, he joined with other rioters and actively resisted and mocked the police.”
Williams was arrested in Detroit on March 26, 2021.
So far more than 870 people have been charged with federal crimes for violent conduct on Jan. 6. More 260 of them have been sentenced, with roughly half receiving jail terms ranging from seven days to 10 years, noted AP. Only five other Capitol riot defendants have been sentenced to a longer prison term than Williams.
Photo: From Anthony Williams' Facebook
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