Capitol rioter gets smacked down by judge after claiming he was not 'part of that mob'
A New York man who entered the U.S. Capitol twice during the January 6 but tried to convince a judge that he was “100 percent on the side of the Capitol police” was sentenced today to 14 days of jail time and three years of probation.
Richard Watrous, 59, of Homer, N.Y., had plead guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading in the Capitol. Some other Capitol riot defendants have received probation only for entering the same guilty plea, Watrous received a stiffer sentence from U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell, according to a report at Syracuse.com.
Watrous will serve the intermittent confinement in two 7-day periods, along with 60 days of home detention, a $2,500 fine and $500 restitution per a plea deal, the report said. It cited a Tweet from BuzzFeed News reporter Zoe Tillman who noted that the sentence “was more than DOJ had requested.”
Howell said that the fact that Watrous entered the Capitol twice during the riots is a “very serious aggravating factor” for his sentencing, Syracuse.com reported. Here’s how the FBI described how Watrous managed to enter twice into the same riot:
“Watrous estimated he was inside the Capitol for approximately five minutes and then left out the same door he had entered. Watrous stated that outside, he sat on the Capitol steps and observed an unknown male who said he was going to Nancy Pelosi’s office. Watrous said the man entered the Capitol and then came back out crying because he had clearly been pepper-sprayed but was now holding a bottle of wine that said Democratic Convention. Watrous stated the man said, “I got Nancy Pelosi’s wine!”
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“Watrous said that after sitting on the steps for approximately 15 minutes, he walked away and met a woman who had a YouTube channel whom he told he had gone inside and there “wasn’t much to see.” The woman wanted to go inside the Capitol and Watrous stated he reentered the Capitol with her.”
Perhaps sealing Watrous’ fate was this interchange with the judge, as reported by Syracuse.com:
“Watrous, who was seeking probation rather than jail, told Howell that he was “100% on the side of Capitol Police,” according to MacFarlane. “I would never be a part of that mob,” Watrous said.
“You understand,” Howell replied, “you were a part of that mob.”
You read the FBI criminal complaint here.
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