Judge Amit Mehta sentenced Jessica Watkins of the state of Ohio to eight and a half years in prison, while Kenneth Harrelson of Florida received four years in prison for his involvement in the storming.
The sentence came a day after far-right Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the storming of Congress in Washington DC on January 6, 2021.
But the two convicted Friday were acquitted by a federal jury of conspiracy charges of which ringleader Rhodes was convicted.
Watkins was filled with remorse when she received the sentence. She described herself as “another idiot running around in Congress”.
— And today you will demand responsibility for this idiot, she said to the judge.
Judge Mehta, in his ruling, held that the Justice Department’s reference to “terrorism” was correct. But the sentence was shorter than what prosecutors demanded. The Justice Department wanted Watkins to be sentenced to 18 years in prison and Harrelson to 15 years in prison.