A Texas man convicted of storming the U.S. Capitol with a holstered handgun helmet and body armor was sentenced on Monday to 87 months - more than seven years - in prison, the longest sentence imposed so far among hundreds of Capitol riot cases.
Prosecutors said Guy Reffitt told fellow members of the Texas Three Percenters militia group that he planned to drag House Speaker Nancy Pelosi out of the Capitol building by her ankles, "with her head hitting every step on the way down," according to a court filing.
Justice Department prosecutors recommended a 15-year prison sentence for Reffitt, who already has been jailed for approximately 19 months. They said he was a militia group member who intended to drag lawmakers out of the building and take over Congress to stop the certification of the Electoral College vote.Sentencing guidelines calculated by the court's probation department called for a sentence ranging from nine years to 11 years and three months.
Videos captured the confrontation between outnumbered Capitol police officers and a mob of people, including Reffitt, who approached them on the west side of the Capitol.& Wesson pistol in a holster on his waist, carrying zip-tie handcuffs and wearing body armor and a helmet equipped with a video camera when he advanced on the officers, according to prosecutors.
Guy Reffitt was a member of the Texas Three Percenters militia group, according to prosecutors. The Three Percenters movement refers to the myth that only 3% of Americans fought in the Revolutionary War against the British.
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