An Military veteran was sentenced Friday to 6 months in jail for violating probation, months after being charged for his position within the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, The Related Press reported.
Kevin Loftus, 56, was making an attempt to go away the nation and be a part of the Russian Military in its almost three-year-long conflict towards Ukraine. Loftus was arrested in Iowa in October, prosecutors defined in a six-page memo filed Wednesday.
He was initially sentenced to 36-months of probation for “unlawful parading, demonstrating and picketing” contained in the Capitol constructing.
Loftus’ plan was to fly to Russia in late October, receive a brief residency and ultimately get in contact with a volunteer navy corps there.
Whereas boarding a flight to Tbilisi, Georgia from Turkey, the Jan. 6 defendant was stopped by gate brokers after Turkish Airways recognized a “security flag” linked to him. He then went again to his residence.
A number of days later, Loftus tried to drive — with out the courtroom’s approval — and was arrested by the FBI on Oct. 31 in Iowa, based on officers.
“Loftus mentioned his intent had been to journey to Tbilisi the place he may safe a 90-day visa to journey to Russia. As soon as in Russia, he deliberate to use for short-term residency,” prosecutors wrote in the memo. “To make these plans, Loftus communicated with a person by way of the messaging platform Telegram.”
“Loftus mentioned that after he was bodily in Russia, the person would put him in contact with the Russian Territorial Protection Unit, a volunteer corps utilized by the Russians within the ongoing conflict in Ukraine,” they continued. “Loftus said his intent was to fight for Russia and against Ukraine.”
The memo additionally notes that Loftus was arrested by Texas police in late December final yr for driving intoxicated. The veteran was ordered to attend a substance abuse therapy program.
Since Jan. 6, 2021, almost 4 years in the past, over 1,500 people have been charged with crimes associated to the Capitol riot.
President-elect Trump has pledged to pardon “most” Jan. 6 rioters each on the marketing campaign path and since his election victory. He reupped that vow throughout an interview with Time journal earlier this week, after being named “Person of the Year.”
The Related Press contributed reporting.
