DOJ wants 27 months in jail for Capitol Police officer who helped attacker on Jan. 6
In his selectively edited version of Jan. 6, Fox host Tucker Carlson complained that there were a number of Capitol Police officers that appeared to be escorting insurrectionists around the Capitol. He demanded to know why those officers weren't being held accountable while the insurrectionists were.
One of those officers is now facing a hard time. The Justice Department, in a filing Thursday, requested that former Capitol Police Officer Michael Riley serve 27 months in prison for the aid he gave to those Capitol attackers on Jan. 6, 2021.
Found guilty of obstruction in Oct. 2022, prosecutors revealed that Riley posted Facebook messages giving insurrectionists advice about how to avoid being caught in the Capitol.
A Facebook friend of Riley's claimed had a mutual interest in fishing, posting an image showing himself inside the Capitol. Riley didn't forward the information to the authorities. Instead, he sent the rioter a personal note about how to not get caught.
“I’m a Capitol Police officer who agrees with your political stance,” Riley wrote, the indictment said. “Take down the part about being in the building they are currently investigating and everyone who was in the building” is going to be charged. “Just looking out!”
The two then exchanged several messages including Riley saying, “I’m glad you got out of there unscathed. We had over 50 officers hurt, some pretty bad.”
On Jan. 20, 2021, the man Riley was speaking to turned himself in.
“The F.B.I. was very curious that I had been speaking to you if they haven’t already asked you about me they are gonna,” the man told Riley, the indictment continued. “They took my phone and downloaded everything.”
Riley wasn't working at the Capitol on Jan. 6, though he responded to requests for help after explosives were found.
The worst that Riley could have faced was 20 years in prison. A little over two years is significantly lower.
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