Militia member sentenced to 5 years in prison in Jan. 6 case
A militia member was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, during which former President Trump's supporters tried to stop the peaceful transfer of power to President Biden.
Federal prosecutors say Dan Edwin Wilson, a 48-year-old Kentucky resident, planned for weeks to travel to Washington, D.C., and attack the Capitol on Jan. 6 — the day Congress counted and certified the electoral votes cementing Biden’s victory over Trump in the 2020 election.
As the riot unfolded at the Capitol on Jan. 6, Wilson was communicating with members of the far-right extremist Oath Keepers group, as well as with members of the Three Percenters, to provide them updates on the status of the breach and to call for “all hands on deck,” according to court documents. Prosecutors say Wilson has identified as a member of the Oath Keepers and as a member of the Gray Ghost Partisan Rangers, which is a Three Percenters militia.
He entered the Capitol shortly after 2:30 p.m., wearing a gas mask. He was not charged with committing any acts of violence at the Capitol.
Wilson pleaded guilty in May 2024 to a felony charge of conspiring to impede or injure police officers. He also pleaded guilty to charges related to illegal possession of firearms, which officials discovered in June 2022 when executing a search warrant at his home.
Wilson told U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich that he regrets entering the Capitol on Jan. 6 but that he “got involved with good intentions,” The Associated Press (AP) reported.
“Our country was in turmoil,” Wilson said. “I believe it still is.”
Friedrich said there is “no question” that Wilson was intending to interfere with the congressional certification of the electoral votes.
“He’s not being punished for what he said that day. His comments are reflexive of his intent,” the judge said, the AP reported.
Prosecutors said Wilson began planning for the Jan. 6 events in the winter of 2020 and pointed to messages he sent from mid-December on encrypted social media platforms.
He discussed on Dec. 24, 2020, the possibility of bringing guns to the Capitol riot but ultimately said, “In my opinion I don't think it's time to gun up for the sixth we have to play this out.”
“But if they seat biden on the 20th,” Wilson continued, “all bets are off it's gonna happen even if Trump wins we have to get this government under control it's been crossing my mind if we go to a Civil War do we try to take Washington DC first or do we try to take state capitals first."
"I am ready to lay my life on the line. It is time for good men to do bad things,” Wilson wrote on Dec. 27, 2020, according to prosecutors.
Wilson’s defense attorney, Norm Pattis, argued Wilson truly believed that the presidential election was stolen from Trump and that the defendant “did not plan an insurrection.”
“He appeared at a protest and was swept up in events that turned violent,” Pattis added.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Mariano noted that while Wilson did not commit violence that day, “his role in preparing for violence and helping to organize a conspiracy makes him particularly dangerous.”
Wilson “sought out violence and endeavored to organize others to join him in his violent aims,” Mariano said.
“Wilson’s crime was an attack on not just the Capitol, but the United States and its system of government,” Mariano added. “He joined a mob and struck a blow to a central feature of the American system: the peaceful transfer of power.”
The Associated Press contributed
Date: |
Topics
-
ABC News - Sports
Bobby Witt Jr. passes 100 RBIs for the season as the Royals beat the Pirates 5-1
Bobby Witt Jr. drove in his 100th run of the season with a solo homer in the first inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-114 minutes ago - MLB -
ABC News - Sports
Milroe accounts for 5 TDs as No. 4 Alabama rips Wisconsin 42-10. Badgers QB Tyler Van Dyke injured
Jalen Milroe threw three touchdowns and ran for two more as No. 4 Alabama made a rare trip north and posted a 42-10 win over Wisconsin Saturday14 minutes ago - College Football -
Politico - Politics
House Republicans prepare doomed 6-month stopgap funding patch
5 days ago - Republican Party -
Yahoo Sports - Sports
No. 6 Missouri comes back from early deficit to beat No. 24 Boston College, 27-21
The Tigers were down 14-3 midway through the second quarter.33 minutes ago - College Football -
Yahoo Sports - Sports
No. 24 Boston College somehow turns errant snap into wide-open 67-yard TD in loss to No. 6 Missouri
Reed Harris was wide open.2 hours ago - College Football -
CBS Sports - Sports
NBA free agency: Cavaliers agree to three-year, $38 million deal with Isaac Okoro, per report
Okoro was a restricted free agent22 minutes ago - NBA
More from The Hill
-
The Hill - Politics
Big Oil, clean energy chart future of geothermal energy
HOUSTON — The future of an emerging form of American clean energy could be built on an unexpected foundation: technology and experience from Big Oil. At least, that’s the hope of representatives of ...28 minutes ago - Energy -
The Hill - Politics
Sunday shows preview: Government shutdown looms, election intensifies post-debate
A government shutdown is looming as Congress attempts to agree on a funding strategy by the end of the month. The countdown to Election Day is on and the race has intensified after this week’s ...35 minutes ago -
The Hill - Politics
Maher predicts 'it's over' for Trump
Comedian Bill Maher said he thinks former President Trump is going to lose the 2024 presidential election in November on his HBO show on Friday. "Tonight, I'm saying, I think it's over," Bill Maher ...40 minutes ago - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
Arizona's 19th-century abortion law officially repealed
The 19th-century abortion law in the battleground state of Arizona was officially repealed on Saturday. The 1864 law, which was initially passed even before Arizona became a state, was revoked ...1 hour ago - Abortion -
The Hill - Politics
Biden, Harris to headline Hispanic Heritage Month gala and conference
President Biden will deliver a swan song address on Thursday at the premier gala celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in Washington, headlining the event in person for the third year in a row. Ahead ...2 hours ago - Joe Biden