MAGA rioter who stole flag and yelled 'we ride for Trump we die for Trump' escapes with no prison sentence
January 19, 2022
Jacob Kyle Wiedrich escaped a prison term that prosecutors had recommended Wednesday despite having stolen a U.S. flag and boasted wildly about his exploits at the January 6 Capitol insurrection.
Wiedrich, of Salt Lake City, was sentenced only to three months of home confinement and three years of probation in connection to the attack on the Capitol, KSL.com reported. Federal prosecutors had asked for a seemingly light 3-month prison sentence after Wiedrich, who initially called himself “Jason Weed,” pleaded guilty.
The sentence by Judge Thomas Hogan stood in stark contrast to one issued yesterday by Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who gave the same amount of home-detention time -- along with stiff fines -- to a MAGA rioter who spent just five minutes in the Capitol and was accused of no violence or vandalism, much less stealing a flag.
The feds had revealed in a sentencing memorandum that Wiedrich had stolen a U.S. flag from the Capitol and that it was recovered during a search of his home in Salt Lake City.
Also setting apart the two cases were Wiedrich’s boasts about his day at the insurrection. Here’s how KSL.com reported that:
“Charging documents say Wiedrich could be heard yelling "we ride for Trump, we die for Trump" while walking in a crowd. FBI agents also allegedly found a Snapchat video of Wiedrich in which he allegedly said, "We marched to the Capitol, broke a few windows."
Not included in the reporting, but part of the FBI criminal complaint against Wiedrich, was this description of the MAGA rioter:
“The male individual is verbally combative with law enforcement attempting to maintain security; at one point, the male individual complains of being shot with rubber bullets and tear gassed. As the mob moves closer to the Capitol building, the male yells "we're not done!" and "Charge! Charge the motherfucker!" to the mob. The male also screams "take it back!.”
Wiedrich also was quoted by the FBI as contrasting the Capitol riot to Black Lives Matter protests and stating, “we won’t put up with the fraud,” in reference to the 2020 election.
Hogan indicated that that Wiedrich’s statements “concerned” him, the reporting said. But the judge apparently was persuaded by the arguments of Wiedrich’s defense attorney, Maria Jacob, who told the court Wednesday that a Snapchat video and other social media posts were made to try and impress his friends, though some statements made in posts were untrue,” KSL.com reported.
Here’s how the rest went:
“She said that Wiedrich wrote a letter to U.S. Capitol Police officers apologizing for his actions, and he previously suggested to the court that he complete 100 hours of community service as part of his sentence.
"There is obviously remorse here," Jacob said. "He sincerely regrets his actions."
“In a brief statement to the court, Wiedrich, who refers to himself as "Gods Battle Ax and Weapon of War" on Twitter, said he had enrolled in a trade school and knows his past actions will be a stain on his future. He also said that, regardless of politics, "breaking American property is not acceptable." Wiedrich said he is still passionate about politics, but rather than focus on national politics, Wiedrich said he wants to do it the "right way" and focus on local issues.
“Hogan ultimately ruled against sending Wiedrich to prison, saying that he would be incarcerated, the extent of Wiedrich's would only mean a few months behind bars and no additional oversight from the court.
“Instead, Hogan sentenced Wiedrich to three months of home detention, which would allow for Wiedrich to continue with trade school. Once that is complete, Wiedrich will be on supervised probation for three years, which Hogan noted would extend past the 2024 presidential election to ensure Wiedrich doesn't fall into the same patterns that led him to the Capitol. Hogan also ordered that Wiedrich serve 100 hours of community service.”
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