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An Arkansas man who put his foot on a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office in a widely circulated photo of the U.S. Capitol riots was sentenced Wednesday to more than four years in prison.
Richard (Bigo) Barnett became one of the faces of the January 6 riots by supporters of then-president Donald Trump, and US District Judge Christopher Cooper said in announcing the sentence that Barnett seemed to enjoy being famous at times.
“Everyone who follows ‘Bigo’ needs to know the actions of January 6th cannot be repeated without serious consequences,” Cooper said, referring to the media and social media attention after Barnett was arrested after the riots.
The 54-month sentence for Barnett, a retired firefighter from Gravette, Ark., came after he was convicted in court of eight charges, including charges of civil crimes and obstruction of official proceedings, in this case on January 6, 2021, the session of Congress to certify the victory of Joe Biden against Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
The Jan. 6 Committee released a new video Thursday showing congressmen, Republicans and Democrats, trying to get help as rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was heard saying, ‘He broke the law in many ways – quite franklyat the instigation of the president of the United States.’
One of the most memorable figures
Photos of Barnett sitting on a desk in Pelosi’s office make him one of the most memorable figures from the turmoil. Barnett, 63, testified that he “went with the flow” and struck the pose after a news photographer told him to “act natural.”
He told the judge he regretted participating in the riot, but prosecutors wanted him to “feel sorry for something I didn’t do.”
“January 6 was a traumatic day for everyone, not just law enforcement,” he said.
Barnett has vowed to appeal the conviction. He testified in court that he was swept up in the crowd to the Capitol, and was looking for a bathroom when he accidentally walked into Pelosi’s office and encountered two news photographers.
Cooper, though, said he doesn’t believe Barnett is playing such a passive role.
It was established in the trial that Barnett brought to the Capitol a stun gun with spikes, hiding it in a collapsible walking stick. Barnett also took a piece of Pelosi’s 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 our house, and I’m taking Nancy Pelosi’s office!” according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors also said Barnett had posted “falsehoods” on social media about January 6 and downplayed his role.
“The defendant still believes he can say or do whatever he wants and if someone else is threatened, that’s the problem,” said prosecutor Alison Prout.
More than 1,000 people were charged
Defense attorney Jonathan Gross said Barnett did not harm anyone or damage property, and was singled out because the photo was already famous.
“Mr Barnett should not be punished because the government sees him as a symbol,” he said.
Cooper’s sentence fell short of the estimated seven years of the prosecutor’s office, although it was more than the defense lawyer’s request for a term of 12 months.
More than 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riots. Just over 500 people have been sentenced. More than half have received prison terms ranging from a week to more than 14 years.
The US House committee on January 6 has released its final report which confirms that Donald Trump acted criminally in a ‘multi-part conspiracy’ to invalidate the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to act to prevent his supporters from attacking Capitol Hill.
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