A man from Kentucky, identified as the first rioter to enter the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, has been sentenced to 53 months behind bars. Michael Sparks was convicted in March by a Washington, DC, jury on multiple counts, including disorderly conduct in the Capitol.
According to prosecutors, Sparks' actions on that day led to the forced interruption of the certification of the 2020 Electoral College vote count and posed a threat to the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 Presidential election. Prosecutors highlighted Sparks' preparation and planning, including wearing protective body armor, which allowed him to push past officers and enter the Capitol.
Sparks was part of the mob that rushed to the Senate wing door of the Capitol and was the first to climb into the building through a window broken by another rioter. Prosecutors also revealed that Sparks had called for a civil war in online posts and had purchased a rifle in the days leading up to the riot.
Two weeks before the riot, Sparks posted a message online above an image of then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and then-Minority Leader of the Senate Chuck Schumer, suggesting a violent act against them.
