Capitol rioter sentenced to less than a year in prison as first felony case is resolved – By Chris Pandolfo (The Blaze) / July 19 2021
A Florida man who carried a Trump campaign flag onto the floor of the U.S. Senate during the January 6 riot at the Capitol building was sentenced to eight months in prison on Monday, becoming the first Capitol rioter to receive prison time for felony charges.
Paul Allard Hodgkins, 38, of Tampa plead guilty to obstruction of an official proceeding for interrupting the certification of the Electoral College results by Congress. He was photographed on the Senate floor carrying a “TRUMP” flag and wearing goggles around his neck.
Reading a prepared message to the court, Hodgkins apologized for his involvement in the riot, saying he got caught up as the crowd at former President Donald Trump’s rally moved on to the Capitol and became a mob, escalating to violence.
“If I had any idea that the protest … would escalate (the way) it did … I would never have ventured farther than the sidewalk of Pennsylvania Avenue,” Hodgkins said, according to the Associated Press.
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