California man gets four and a half years for role in US Capitol riot

Southern California man attacked police with pepper spray during US Capitol raid January 6, 2021, Federal authorities announced

Jeffrey Scott Brown, 56, of Santa Ana was sentenced to 54 months in federal prison on felony and misdemeanor charges related to a mob attack by former President Donald Trump supporters, the U.S. Justice Department said. said at a press conference on Friday.

DOJ said more than 1,000 people had been arrested, including more than 320 charged with assaulting or obstructing law enforcement. On that day, Trump supporters tried to stop Congress from approving the presidential election result of Democrat Joe Biden over Republican Trump.

Brown and two co-defendants were found guilty at trial in December.

Peter J. Schwartz of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, is scheduled to be sentenced in May. It’s not clear why Marcus Murray of Fincastle, Virginia, was not sentenced as scheduled on Friday.

Prosecutors were seeking a 70-month sentence for Brown.

Brown’s attorney, Samuel C. Moore, sought 40 months in prison, according to court documents.

Moore said the act was “less than 10 minutes of Mr. Brown’s life” and that the pepper spray “had no contact with any specific victims.” He admits he shouldn’t have been in the Capitol Tunnel, and admits that he has a responsibility to do so.