WASHINGTON (AP) — An Arkansas man who braced his feet on a desk in Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office during the U.S. Capitol riots was convicted Monday of joining a mob attack on the building two years ago.
A jury unanimously convicted Richard “Bigo” Barnett on all eight counts in the indictment including the felony charges of civil disorder and obstruction of official proceedings.
Barnett sat at the desk in Pelosi’s office making him one of the most memorable figures from the turmoil on January 6, 2021, the day Congress held a joint session to certify the election victory of President Joe Biden.
He is scheduled to be sentenced in May. Prosecutors sought to jail Barnett while he awaited sentencing but the judge rejected the request, allowing Barnett to remain free on certain conditions.
Barnett, 62, testified last Thursday that he was looking for a bathroom at the Capitol when he accidentally walked into Pelosi’s office and encountered two news photographers. She said one of the photographers told her to “act natural,” so she leaned back in her chair and put her feet up on the table.
“Do you realize that what you’re doing could cause problems?” defense attorney Joseph McBride asked Barnett.
“I’m just in the moment,” Barnett replied. “I’m just going with the flow at this point.”
Prosecutors say Barnett had a stun gun tucked into his pants when he stormed the Capitol and stormed Pelosi’s office. He took a piece of her mail and left behind a note that said, “Nancy, Bigo is here,” punctuating the message with a sexist expletive.
Before leaving the Capitol, Barnett used a bullhorn to address the crowd, shouting, “We’re taking the house, and I’m taking Nancy Pelosi’s office!” according to prosecutors.
Video corroborates Barnett’s testimony that the crowd pushed him into the Capitol as he approached the entrance, causing him to fall to his knees as he crossed the threshold.
“We have no choice!” shouted over and over as they entered the Capitol.
After police ordered him and others to leave Pelosi’s office, Barnett realized they had left the American flag behind. Body camera video captured Barnett yelling at a police officer in the Rotunda for help to retrieve the flag.
More than 940 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Jan.6 attack. Nearly 500 people pleaded guilty. Barnett was one of dozens of Capitol riot defendants whose cases went to trial.
A grand jury indicted Barnett on eight charges, including felony counts of civil disorder and obstruction of official process. He also faces a charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building or premises with a deadly or dangerous weapon – a stun gun with a spike hidden in a retractable stick.
Barnett, 62, is a retired firefighter from Gravette, Arkansas. He said he regrets coming to Washington for the “Stop the Steal” rally where President Donald Trump later addressed a crowd of supporters.
“Two years lost life. Suffering for my family,” he said.
A prosecutor told jurors during the opening statements of the trial that Barnett planned the trip for weeks and came prepared for violence.
McBride told jurors that Barnett is just “a crazy person from Arkansas” who did not hurt anyone on January 6 and could not have harmed anyone with a stun gun because of the breaking of the day. McBride sarcastically called it “the most famous offense case of all time.”
Prosecutors said Barnett has a history of being armed at political demonstrations. In July 2020, he said, a 911 caller reported that someone matching Barnett’s description had pointed a gun at him during a “Back the Blue” rally.
“Law enforcement ultimately closed the investigation as unfounded due to unresolved discrepancies in evidence,” prosecutors wrote.
In November 2020, police were called to a “Save the Children” rally when a caller said Barnett was carrying a gun during a protest and acting suspiciously.