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August 17, 2022
Jan 6. Defendants Attempt to Cash In
Several Rioter’s
try to profit
from the
Capitol incident
back on Jan.6
AP -Facing prison time and
dire personal consequences for
storming the U.S. Capitol, some
Jan. 6 defendants are trying to
profit from their participation in
the deadly riot, using it as a plat-
form to drum up cash, promote
business endeavors and boost
social media profiles.
A Nevada man jailed on riot
charges asked his mother to
contact publishers for a book he
was writing about “the Capitol
incident.” A rioter from Wash-
ington State helped his father
hawk clothes and other mer-
chandise bearing slogans such
as “Our House” and images of
the Capitol building. A Virginia
man released a rap album with
riot-themed songs and a cover
photograph of him sitting on a
police vehicle outside the Capi-
tol on Jan. 6, 2021.
A group calling itself the Pa-
triot Freedom Project says it
Insurrectionists loyal to President Donald Trump try to break through a police barrier (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
has raised more than $1 million
in contributions and paid more
than $665,000 in grants and le-
gal fees for families of Capitol
riot defendants.
Those actions are sometimes
complicating matters for defen-
dants when they face judges at
sentencing as prosecutors point
For
READERS OF
ALL AGES
and all walks of life
to the profit-chasing activities
in seeking tougher punishments.
The Justice Department, in some
instances, is trying to claw back
money that rioters have made
off the insurrection.
Many rioters have paid a steep
personal price for their actions
on Jan. 6. At sentencing, riot-
ers often ask for leniency on the
grounds that they already have
experienced severe consequences
for their crimes. A few rioters are
writing books about the mob’s at-
tack or have marketed videos that
they shot during the riot.
They lost jobs or entire ca-
reers. Marriages fell apart.
Friends and relatives shunned
them or even reported them to
the FBI. Strangers have sent
them hate mail and online
threats. And they have racked
up expensive legal bills to de-
fend themselves against federal
charges ranging from misde-
meanors to serious felonies.