Imprisoned Capitol rioter inks deal with conservative publisher who also specializes in children's books

Ex-West Virginia lawmaker Derrick Evans filmed himself wearing a black helmet as he stormed the Capitol during the January 6, 2021 riot. He apologized to the federal judge who sentenced him to three months in prison in June.

But Evans is now writing an angry book for Texas-based Defiance Press. The publisher, whose logo is a fist clutching a rifle raised skyward, has a stable of conservative authors including former Arizona’s famous former lawman, Joe Arapio, nicknamed “Toughest Sheriff in America.”

Evans entered prison on July 25 and will finish his manuscript there, a Defiance press release states.

“Since January 6th, my name has been slandered in any which sort of way you can think of and I can state with full confidence that I am merely one of many people affected by the extreme polarization of our country’s politics,” Evans said in a statement. “I firmly believe that partnering with Defiance Press will allow me to share my story with the world, express my frustration with the current state of our country, and bring about true justice in hopes to build a better future for the next generation.”

Evans resigned from the legislature after he was arrested last year. As CNN observed, Evans “only served as a West Virginia state legislator for 40 days but will spend 90 days in jail for his role in the January 6.”

Evans gained fame as an anti-abortion activist who protested at women’s clinics. A few days before going to prison, he told CBS News that he may run for office again after his brief stint for the 19th district in West Virginia’s House of Delegates.

At his sentencing, Evans told Senior U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth he felt daily regret for getting “caught up in a moment which led to me breaking the law.” Evans told the judge that he had let his family down.

The Defiance Press website says that it publishes conservative and libertarian authors as well as children’s books.

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