A man from Washington state who participated in the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, has been sentenced to seven years and three months in prison.
Taylor James Johnatakis faced a conviction in November on seven charges, which included obstruction of an official proceeding and assaulting police officers.
Federal prosecutors allege that Johnatakis played a leading role in the attack on the police line outside the Capitol, where rioters engaged in violent actions.
According to a press release, Johnatakis used his megaphone to instruct the rioters to move up to the police line. He repeatedly yelled at them to “pack it in! pack it in!” Then, he used the megaphone to direct the crowd on how to push the bike racks. He counted, “one, two, three, GO!!” as they moved the racks one foot at a time.
According to prosecutors, the turmoil resulted in the injury of at least one officer.
During his trial, Johnatakis represented himself, which caused frustration for Judge Royce Lamberth due to his erratic behavior. He argued his case by asserting his status as a “sovereign citizen,” a claim that the judge dismissed as “gobbledygook,” as reported by The Associated Press.
During his sentencing, Johnatakis also posed questions to the judge, one of which was, “Does the record indicate my remorse for my sins?” Judge Lamberth, however, made it clear that he was not entertaining questions at that moment, as reported by the AP.
In a letter following Wednesday’s hearing, Lamberth expressed his intention for each sentencing decision regarding the Jan. 6 rioters to serve as a deterrent against future violence, discourage others from being influenced by the Capitol riot, and demonstrate the community’s strong moral disapproval of such behavior.
In response to the notion that Johnatakis was merely exercising his freedom of speech, he strongly opposed the idea, stating that his actions did not fall under the protection of the First Amendment or qualify as civil disobedience.
According to the author, if everyone were to do what they thought was right and choose whether or not to follow the law, it would result in a society characterized by vigilantism, lawlessness, and anarchy.
According to Lamberth, Johnatakis’ remarks during the trial clearly indicate that he refuses to take responsibility for his actions and lacks genuine remorse.
“In every angry mob, there exist individuals who assume leadership roles and those who follow,” he expressed. “Mr. Johnatakis demonstrated leadership qualities and was fully aware of his actions on that particular day.”
