Michael Sparks, First Capitol Rioter, Receives Over Four-Year Prison Sentence
Michael Sparks, the first rioter to enter the Capitol on January 6, 2021, has been sentenced to more than four years in prison. This decision was announced by federal prosecutors on Tuesday.
In March, a federal jury convicted Sparks of multiple felony charges, including obstructing an official proceeding and civil disorder. Additionally, he was found guilty of several misdemeanors related to his unlawful entry into the Capitol.
Prosecutors presented evidence of Sparks’s social media posts that incited civil war and violence against Congress, which influenced his sentencing. Although Sparks surrendered on January 19, 2021, he did not testify during the trial. He expressed regret that the January 6 events “did not change anything” and reaffirmed his belief in the unfounded claim that the 2020 election was stolen.
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly sentenced Sparks to 53 months in prison, imposed a $2,000 fine, and ordered three years of supervised release following his incarceration. Footage from the Capitol showed Sparks entering the building at 2:13 p.m. through a window broken by rioters using a police shield.
Sparks was part of the initial group that encountered Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, who played a key role in preventing the mob from reaching Congress members. Prosecutors described how rioters, including Sparks, chased Goodman up the stairs, demanding to know the location of the ongoing certification of the election results. At the top of the stairs, Goodman and other officers faced the mob while Sparks shouted, “This is our America!”
Prosecutors had recommended a 57-month prison term, underscoring that Sparks’s actions disrupted the Electoral College vote count and the peaceful transfer of power. Judge Kelly concurred, emphasizing the significant impact of Sparks’s actions during the Capitol breach.
Michael Sparks is among the over 1,300 individuals who have been charged in relation to the events of January 6.
