Nazi sympathizer sentenced to 4 years for role in Capitol riot

A U.S. Army reservist, whom prosecutors described as a white supremacist and Nazi sympathizer, was sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday for his role during the U.S. Capitol riot.

Driving the news: Timothy Louis Hale-Cusanelli, 32, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, was working as a contractor at a naval weapons station during the time of the insurrection, which he described to a friend as "exhilarating" and said he was hoping for a "civil war," per a Department of Justice statement.

• Hale-Cusanelli was "among the first rioters" to enter the Capitol Building, where he remained for some 40 minutes, the DOJ said.
• During this time, he "made harassing and derogatory statements toward Capitol Police officers, saying that a 'revolution' was coming."

What they're saying: District Judge Trevor McFadden slammed Hale-Cusanelli for his "sexist, racist and antisemitic comments" that he said partially drove his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, CNN reports.

• The judge said Hale-Cusanelli lied during trial testimony when he claimed not to know where Congress met despite telling a roommate that he had made it to the House chambers during the riot.
• Hale-Cusanelli told the judge he "disrespected my uniform," according to CNN.

The big picture: Hale-Cusanelli was convicted in May of five criminal charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding, namely the certification of the 2020 presidential election results.

• He was sentenced to a total of 48 months in prison on felony and misdemeanor charges and must pay $2,000 in restitution. Following his release, Hale-Cusanelli will be placed on three years of supervised release.

By the numbers: In the 20 months since the Capitol attack, more than 870 people have been arrested in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach, including over 265 who have been charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, according to the Justice Department.