Man who threatened to shoot Pelosi in the head sentenced to 28 months in prison
Supporters of former President Trump protest inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Photo: Brent Stirton via Getty Images
A man who traveled to D.C. for the Stop the Steal rally that preceded the Capitol riot and texted people about "putting a bullet" in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's head has been sentenced to 28 months in prison, BuzzFeed reports.
Why it matters: Cleveland Meredith Jr. drove from Colorado to Washington, D.C., with two guns and 2,500 rounds of ammunition, though he arrived late on Jan. 6 due to car trouble, court filings show. Meredith pleaded guilty in September to sending threatening communications.
- Meredith sent a text message on Jan. 7 saying he was thinking about attending a Pelosi event and shooting her in the "noggin" on live television.
Details: Noting that threats against public officials have multiplied, District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said Meredith's words could not be excused by claiming he was joking or that he didn't plan to act on it.
- "That is the most tired and hollow excuse and this sentence needs to clearly express that these kinds of statements cannot be shrugged off," Jackson said, per BuzzFeed. "They cannot be erased by adding 'LOL' at the end."
- Jackson ordered Meredith to comply with mental health treatment based on his lawyer's arguments that his behavior in January was related to mental illness.
- The 11 months he has already spent in jail will count toward his sentence.
The big picture: Over 600 known federal defendants face charges in connection to the insurrection.