Topline
Lonnie Coffman, a man who drove to Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, with molotov cocktails, weapons and other ammunition— making him one of the most heavily armed protesters — was sentenced on Friday to 46 months in prison, one of the longest sentences yet related to the Capitol riot.
Pro-Trump supporters and far-right forces flood Washington DC to protest Trump’s election loss
Key Facts
Coffman, 72, brought 11 jars filled with gasoline and styrofoam as well as several firearms, ammo, a stun gun and a machete to Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, according to CNN.
Coffman was “ready to do battle,” U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said before sentencing the Alabama man, CNN reported.
Coffman was not accused of being part of the January 6 riot, according to CBS, but pleaded guilty in November for possessing unregistered weapons in both Washington D.C. and Alabama, the Washington Post reported.
Coffman said at a plea hearing that he believed the gasoline was too old to be explosive, although experts testified it would have similar effects to napalm, a substance that can be used to create bombs, the Washington Post reported.
Coffman’s sentence of nearly four years is one of the longest sentences among defendants in the insurrection investigations, with the longest being five years given to a man who threw objects at the police.
Key Background
Coffman is one of more than 800 people who have been charged for actions related to the storming of the U.S. Capitol last year, according to Insider. But only a portion of those arrested have been sentenced so far, according to a list of cases tracked by Time. The sentences range from one month for a senior from the University of Kentucky who took a selfie inside the Capitol building to five years for a man who attacked police officers. Coffman’s sentencing comes as former President Donald Trump’s senior advisor, Jared Kushner, voluntarily testified this week before the January 6 Committee, the select Congressional committee tasked with investigating the January 6 events. Kushner, who is married to Ivanka Trump and is the first Trump family member to testify, reportedly spoke with the panel for six hours and provided “helpful information.” The panel also has asked Ivanka Trump to voluntarily appear.
What To Watch For
Other January 6 sentences to follow. Hundreds of cases and sentencing hearings are scheduled for 2022, according to Time.
Further Reading
Man who brought Molotov cocktails near Capitol on January 6 sentenced to nearly 4 years (CNN)
Alabama man with molotov cocktails, guns on Jan. 6 gets 46-month sentence (Washington Post)
Rioter Gets Longest Jan. 6 Sentence Yet—5 Years For Attacking Police (Forbes)
What Happened to Jan. 6 Insurrectionists Arrested in the Year Since the Capitol Riot (Time)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/madelinehalpert/2022/04/01/man-with-molotov-cocktails-on-jan-6-gets-nearly-4-year-prison-sentence-heres-how-that-compares-with-others/