Alan Hostetter, a retired US police chief, has been sentenced to more than 11 years in prison over his participation in the notorious January 6, 2021 assault on US Capitol Hill.
On Thursday, a Washington court passed the sentence based on his July conviction on charges including conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and entering a restricted building with a deadly or dangerous weapon.
Unwavering support
An unwavering Donald Trump supporter, Hostetter chose to represent himself at the trial. All through it, he never wavered from his belief that President Joe Biden had stolen the election from Trump.
The 135 months, or a little more than 11 years’ sentence awarded to him, was only slightly less than the 12.5 years requested by prosecutors.
As per a KTLA report citing the United States Department of Justice, on January 6, 2021, the 59-year-old ex-policeman brought tactical gear, pepper spray and hatchets to the government building.
He was retired from law enforcement and, at the time of the attack on Capitol Hill, he worked as a yoga instructor.
Leading up to the riot at Capitol Hill, Hostetter gave several inflammatory speeches in which he echoed Trump’s claims and said that the election was fraudulent. He also called for the execution of Trump’s political rivals.
What happened on Jan 6?
On January 6, 2021, hundreds of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol building, home to the US Congress. The riot attempted to try to disrupt the official certification of Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election.
The action was sparked by a fiery speech from Trump himself. However, the 2024 US Presidential Elections hopeful has not directly been implicated in the event.
To date, more than 1,230 of the hundreds that rallied at Capital Hill have been charged for their crimes related to the riot, said the Justice Department. More than 720 have been convicted, and of these, more than 450 will serve prison time.
In December 2022, a congressional commission investigating the January 6 riot recommended criminal charges against Trump. The charges suggested include aiding an insurrection and conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Donald Trump, who has already been indicted for racketeering in Georgia, is set to go on trial in Washington in March. He faces the charges of conspiring to overturn the results of the November 2020 election won by contender Biden.
(With inputs from agencies)
