The US Capitol rioter who infamously propped his feet on the desk of the then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been sentenced to more than four years in prison.
Richard Barnett became one of the faces of the deadly January 6 riot, which saw thousands of violent Donald Trump supporters storm America’s Senate in a bid to overturn the 2020 election.
As his sentencing, US District Judge Christopher Cooper excoriated the 63-year-old retired firefighter, whose nickname is Bigo, saying he seemed at times to enjoy the notoriety.
“All the folks who follow ‘Bigo’ need to know the actions of January 6 cannot be repeated without some serious repercussions,” Cooper said.
The judge sentenced Barnett to four and half years in prison for his role in the 2021 riot.
He was convicted at trial on eight counts, including felony charges of civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding.
The photos of Barnett lounging at a desk in Pelosi’s office made him one of the most memorable figures from the riot.
He had testified he was “going with the flow” and struck a pose after photographers told him to "act natural.”
Cooper, though, said he did not believe Barnett played such a passive role.
He told the judge that joining the riot was “an enigma my life” that he regretted, but said prosecutors wanted him to be “remorseful for things I did not do."
“January 6 was a traumatic day for everyone, not just law enforcement,” he said.
It was established at trial that Barnett brought into the Capitol a stun gun with spikes concealed within a collapsible walking stick.
He also took a piece of Pelosi's mail and left behind a note that said, “Nancy, Bigo was here,” punctuating the message with a sexist expletive.
Before leaving Capitol grounds, Barnett used a bullhorn to give a speech to the crowd, shouting, “We took back our house, and I took Nancy Pelosi’s office,” according to prosecutors.
Prosecutors also said Barnett has since posted “falsehoods” on social media about January 6 while downplaying his role.
“The defendant still believes he can say or do whatever he wants, and if someone else is threatened by it, that’s their problem,” prosecutor Alison Prout said.
Defence attorney Jonathan Gross said Barnett didn't hurt anyone or damage property and was being singled out because the photo had made him famous.
“Mr Barnett should not be punished because the government thinks he's a symbol,” he said.
Cooper’s sentence fell short of the approximately seven years prosecutors sought, though it was more than the defence attorneys' request for a 12-month term. Barnett has vowed to appeal his conviction.
More than 1,000 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the Capitol riot. Just over 500 of them have been sentenced. More than half have received prison terms ranging from a week to over 14 years.
