Alabama man sentenced to 46 months for bringing guns, Molotov cocktails, other weapons to Capitol Hill on Jan. 6

A federal judge has sentenced Lonnie Coffman, of Alabama, to 46 months in prison for bringing a cache of guns, Molotov cocktails, a machete, ammunition feeding devices to Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021. Coffman admitted having the assortment of weapons in a red pickup truck, parked in Southeast Washington, D.C., at 9:20 a.m. on the morning of Jan. 6.   The truck was located near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and the Cannon House Building.

Coffman was not accused of being part of the riot, but acknowledged having a gun on his person as he moved through Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6.

While issuing her sentence, D.C. District Judge Colleen Koller-Kotelly sharply criticized Coffman for his lack of an explanation for his actions and his decision to drive an arsenal of weapons to the Capitol hours before the siege. She compared the chemicals inside the Molotov cocktails to napalm and said she had never seen such a large or wide assortment of weapons in a federal criminal case. 

Coffman’s case is unique among Jan. 6 defendants — he was accused of making a prior trip, in December 2020, seeking out a U.S. senator to discuss a challenge to the 2020 election. He was also accused of having a “good guy” and “bad guy” list when he was arrested. A federal judge was among those named on the “bad guy” list, according to Friday’s court proceedings.

Coffman is a Vietnam War veteran who has served more than a year in pretrial detention, and he has been experiencing a series of mental and physical health challenges, according to court filings from Coffman’s defense attorney. His time in pretrial detention will be credited as part of his 46-month sentence.

He pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered firearm. He is currently one of 32 defendants from Jan. 6 cases who are being held in the Washington, D.C., jail. He’ll be transferred to a federal Bureau of Prisons facility to serve the remainder of his sentence.