Sep 24, 2021 - Politics & Policy

DOJ recommends four months in jail for veteran in Capitol riot case

Kierra Frazier

U.S. Department of Justice seal on a podium in Washington D.C. — Photo: Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Prosecutors recommended a four-month-long jail sentence for an Air Force veteran who participated in the Capitol riot.

Why it matters: Justice Department attorneys wrote in a sentencing memo that though Derek Jancart's military service is "laudable," it "renders his conduct on January 6 all the more egregious."

The Justice Department has said that it will consider military service an aggravating factor when it comes to recommending sentences.

The big picture: Jancart, who plead guilty to misdemeanor offenses, is due to be sentenced next Wednesday.

Jancart defended his actions and suggested that his status as a taxpayer gave him the right to enter the building.

What they're saying: "As a former military member, Jancart was well aware that taxpayer status does not bestow upon a person the right to enter restricted government buildings," the Justice Department wrote.

"His voluntary decision to storm a guarded government building is nothing short of shocking in light of his former military service and training."

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DOJ recommends four months in jail for veteran in Capitol riot case

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