WASHINGTON – A man sentenced to six years in prison Friday afternoon, federal prosecutors say, tried to “incite violence,” “incite” and “promote anarchy” during the storming of the Capitol. .
John Sullivan was found guilty in November of numerous charges, including felony obstruction of official business and treason. During closing arguments, federal prosecutors told jurors that Sullivan went to the Capitol “for the purpose of inciting the crowd,” and prosecutors boasted that Sullivan was “on the front lines” during the attack. submitted evidence.
“I brought the megaphone to stir you up,'' Sullivan said in a video played to jurors, adding, “I was trying to stir up Trump supporters.'' ” he boasted.
Before she was sentenced Friday, a tearful Sullivan said she was “very sorry” and “a lesson learned.”
Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of more than seven years in federal prison, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lederer saying Sullivan “came to Washington looking for a fight” and “was the poster child for far-right conspiracy theories.” It became,” he said. ”
Judge Royce C. Lamberth, an appointee of President Ronald Reagan, spoke out about the seriousness of the Jan. 6 attack and ordered Mr. Sullivan locked up following his conviction last year. He noted that this case was “unusual.” While most of the Jan. 6 defendants “falsely but sincerely believed that the election was stolen,” Sullivan had different political beliefs, the judge said, possibly leading to the Jan. 6 defendants “He was the only defendant to appear at the Capitol even though he did not support the goal.'' About protests. ”
Sullivan, also known as “Jaden It was the focus of conservatives' attention. Sullivan is a political maverick among the January 6 defendants, many of whom still believe lies about the 2020 election that inspired the attack. Sullivan is not a Trump supporter. Prosecutors described him as an “anti-establishment” activist who wanted to “burn everything down.”
He also came forward as a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, but BLM activists distanced themselves from Sullivan in 2020. His younger brother, James Sullivan, is a right-wing activist with ties to the Proud Boys.
In court Friday, Lederer quoted a Black Lives Matter activist in Salt Lake City as saying Sullivan “exploited Black people, profited from our pain, and hurt the movement.”
Sullivan captured some of the well-known footage of the death of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot to death after jumping from a broken window leading to the Speaker's lobby. Babbitt's mother, Mickey Witoft, was in federal court in Washington, D.C., on Friday to attend Sullivan's sentencing hearing.
Sullivan claimed after the riot that he was filming at the scene as a journalist, but prosecutors presented evidence during the trial that he believed the filming was simply “a good ploy to avoid arrest.” In his sentencing memorandum, he asserted that “this is the real thing.'' His purpose in coming to the Capitol was to “incite anarchy.”
NBC Universal, the parent company of NBC News, was one of the news organizations that paid to license Sullivan's footage after the attack. Federal prosecutors previously seized $90,875 in funds Sullivan received from various media outlets and asked a judge to impose a $90,875 fine, saying that Sullivan had been accused of “participating in the Capitol breach.” They cannot be misused and should be subject to full fines.” amount of his earnings. ” Lamberth indicated at the sentencing hearing that Sullivan had no intention of getting his money back.
Prosecutors said Sullivan told documentary filmmaker Jade Thacker, who also entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, that he was “on the side of anyone who wants to tear it down and put something new and better in place.” I will stand,” he said. Prosecutors say when Sullivan began working to license the footage, he changed the way he presented himself.
“As the campaign to sell footage to news outlets unfolded, Sullivan suddenly began calling himself a journalist again and even changed the caption on his website from 'activist' to 'journalist,'” prosecutors wrote. There is. “The reason for Mr. Sullivan's reinvention is clear. Mr. Sullivan went all in on the 'good ruse' he had devised with Mr. Thacker earlier that day in order to achieve the real purpose of his presence at the Capitol: to incite anarchy.” Noda.”
Sullivan was also armed with a “retractable knife with a blade length of approximately 4 inches,” and “during the two most serious turning points on January 6, 2021… at the front door of the House of Representatives and at the door of the Speaker's Lobby,” Sullivan said. ,” the prosecutor said.
Sullivan's lawyers said the former Eagle Scout had a “passion for inline ice skating and speed skating,” but his chances of competing in the Olympics were derailed by the injury. The judges said Sullivan had lived a “compassionate and admirable life of responsibility, dedication to his family, friends and community, and a commitment to improving the lives of those around him.” He urged the judge: “Think of the whole person.”
Sullivan's “mental stability and overall physical presence have declined dramatically” since his incarceration following his conviction, his attorney said. Sullivan was joined by other January 6 defendants in a Washington, D.C., jail because authorities believed being locked up with them, who support Trump, “threatened their safety.” isolated from us.
During Friday's hearing, Sullivan said he has been in “total isolation” under “very dire conditions” since his conviction.
More than 1,387 defendants have been charged in the Capitol attack, and prosecutors have secured nearly 1,000 convictions. Hundreds of low-level rioters received suspended sentences, while more than 520 were sentenced to anything from a few days behind bars to 22 years in federal prison. An NBC News analysis found that the average prison sentence given to participants in the Jan. 6 riot was about eight months.
About 15 defendants are in pretrial detention, meaning they have not been convicted of a crime, but judges have determined they are a threat to the community or a flight risk. did.
