Man receives heaviest sentence yet for storming the Capitol: 14 years in prison

During the storming of Washington by supporters of then-President Trump, Peter Schwartz threw a chair at police officers and attacked them with pepper spray, according to court documents. Schwartz, 49, was granted parole during the assault and has a lengthy criminal record. This played a role in determining the amount of the sentence. “Mr. Schwartz, can I say that not many people come into this courtroom with criminal backgrounds like yours,” Judge Amit Mehta said in court Friday when announcing the sentence of Schartz.

Schwartz expressed remorse in court, but the judge said he didn’t believe it. Judge Mehta told Schwartz he was not being prosecuted because of his political beliefs or because he was a “political prisoner,” but because he repeatedly broke the law on January 6.

American justice decided to prosecute many alleged rioters after the capture of the Capitol. At least five hundred suspects have already pleaded guilty.

On January 6, 2021, the United States Congress met to officially ratify Joe Biden’s election victory. The plan of thousands of Trump supporters was to thwart this procedure and thus keep the incumbent president in power.