A 23-year-old Ohio man best known for his lawyer’s bizarre legal argument that he had legal permission from Donald Trump to invade the U.S. Capitol on January 6 has been found guilty of felony and misdemeanor charges.
Alexander Sheppard, of Powell, Ohio, was found guilty of obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony, along with a slew of misdemeanors in connection with the Capitol riot, the Department of Justice reported. But Sheppard’s case stood out mostly for his attorney’s failed attempt to convince a judge that he had Trump’s official blessing.
Sheppard gained notoriety for the argument “in which he claimed that Trump had given him legal permission to go into the Capitol building on January 6,” as Raw Story reported. U.S. District Court Judge John Bates cited the House Select Committee report in slapping down the argument.
“Trump telling his supporters to "fight like hell" while also encouraging them to march to the Capitol "could signal to protesters that entering the Capitol and stopping the certification would be unlawful."
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At the Capitol, the DOJ stated, “Sheppard was among a large group of rioters who climbed the stairs on the Northwest side of the Capitol building just after the initial breach and entering through a door with shattered windows. Video showed Sheppard overrunning police lines at multiple locations throughout the U.S. Capitol and engaging in disruptive conduct just outside of the House Chamber.
“Additional video showed Sheppard running to the Speaker’s Lobby doors and screaming at the U.S. Capitol Police officers who stood guard there while House members and staff attempted to evacuate behind them.”
A week before the riot, Sheppard had tweeted, “Millions of us will be in Washington D.C. on January 6th to protest the RIGGED election and the acts of WAR that China committed on our country.”
You can read the FBI statement of facts here.
