A Colorado man, Jeffrey Sabol, has been sentenced to more than five years in prison for his involvement in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Sabol, 54, admitted to ripping a baton from an officer's hands and pulling another officer into a mob outside the Capitol, allowing fellow rioters to assault the officer with weapons.
During the sentencing, Sabol expressed remorse and acknowledged his guilt, stating that he would have apologized directly to the officers he attacked if given the opportunity. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras handed down a sentence of five years and three months, with credit for the time Sabol has already spent in jail since his arrest.
Contreras criticized Sabol's actions on January 6, refuting Sabol's claim that he was trying to be helpful. Prosecutors had recommended a longer sentence of 10 years and one month for Sabol, citing his violent conduct during the riot.
Sabol, who believed the 2020 presidential election was stolen from then-President Donald Trump, told FBI agents that he was motivated by 'patriotic rage' and considered himself a 'patriot warrior.' He was convicted of felony charges following a stipulated bench trial last year.
Accompanied by a group he referred to as a 'neighborhood watch,' Sabol attended Trump's 'Stop the Steal' rally before heading to the Capitol. He engaged in violent acts against police officers, aiming to disrupt the certification of President Joe Biden's electoral victory.
After the riot, Sabol attempted to evade authorities by destroying evidence and planning to flee the country. However, he was apprehended in New York in January 2021. Sabol, a former senior geophysical manager, was subsequently fired from his job.
Several other rioters who participated in the attack on officers have also been sentenced, with prison terms ranging from two years to five years and 10 months. More than 1,300 individuals have been charged in connection with the Capitol riot, with over 800 already sentenced to imprisonment.
