Army Vet Sentenced to Jail for Jan. 6 Actions, Apologizes ‘to the Nation’

WASHINGTON — Tommy Frederick Allan will serve 21 months in federal jail in connection along with his actions throughout the Jan. 6, 2021, rebel on the U.S. Capitol, a federal choose dominated on Thursday.

He can even pay a $100 high quality and $2,000 to the Architect of the Capitol after he scaled its partitions on a rope and stole an American flag and paperwork from the Senate chamber.

Allan, 54, had pleaded responsible in August to at least one rely of obstructing an official continuing: the congressional tally of Electoral Faculty votes to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory over Donald Trump.

The Rocklin, California, resident can even have 36 months’ probation, Choose Colleen Kollar-Kotelly of the U.S. District Court docket for the District of Columbia stated.

Federal prosecutors had requested for a two-year jail sentence provided that Allan was one among just some individuals who entered the Senate chamber and stood on its dais, even when he didn’t have interaction in violence on Jan. 6. There, he waved the stolen flag subsequent to Jacob Chansley, the self-proclaimed QAnon shaman — the person wearing a bear-skin headdress, bull horns, and face paint who was sentenced to 41 months. Allan solely left the chamber and returned the flag when police arrived, Assistant U.S. Legal professional Robert Juman stated Thursday.

Juman stated Allan knew what he did was unsuitable as a result of he later destroyed proof by deleting his Fb account the place he had posted about going to the Capitol, burning the stolen paperwork and altering cellphones.

On behalf of the federal government, Juman wished an extended sentence to discourage one other rebel, which he stated was fully potential given Trump and plenty of of his supporters incorrectly imagine the 2020 election was stolen. Trump, who introduced his plans to run for the White Home once more in 2024, has repeated lies and solid doubt on the election course of, together with that the midterm elections final month have been “rigged.”

Juman continued that, based mostly on social media posts that Allan made earlier than and on Jan. 6, Allan thought that “being a patriot” gave him a proper to interrupt the legislation that day, a day that included an “assault on the rule of legislation.”

The choose agreed, calling the rebel an “inexcusable assault on our democracy” and that the “Structure doesn’t sanction an rebel or revolt.” Kollar-Kotelly stated she hoped that the punishment would deter Allan and others from doing one thing like this once more. She stated she hoped he taught his kids that they’re fortunate to reside in a rustic with such nice freedoms, and that Allan defined to them that he “jeopardized their freedoms” along with his actions practically two years in the past.

Allan, an Army veteran who owns a toddler gymnasium in Roseville, California, apologized to lawmakers and police who have been on the Capitol on Jan. 6, the Biden and Trump administrations, his group and the nation.

The choose took that final apology into consideration, saying that Allan was the one one who has been sentenced thus far to have stated sorry to the nation. She additionally thought-about his navy service and regret in selecting a sentence lighter than the federal government requested for.

However, Kollar-Kotelly stated, Allan violated the oath to guard the Structure that he took when he enlisted when he participated within the rebel.

Allan’s lawyer on Thursday stated her consumer solely got here to Washington that day as a result of Trump satisfied him and others that the presidential election was stolen. Assistant federal public defender Maria Jacob stated her consumer didn’t condone or take part in violence on Jan. 6 and that what he posted on social media, behind a display, shouldn’t be weighed as closely as what he did on the Capitol on Jan. 6.

She argued that Allan is a “difficult individual” and that, although he did enter the Capitol, he additionally instructed individuals to not destroy gadgets within the Senate chamber.

Since Jan. 6, Jacob stated, Allan has regretted his actions each day, saying he “noticed the error of his methods in lower than 24 hours.” Allan deleted his Fb account, burned the stolen paperwork and adjusted cellphones out of disgrace, not as a result of he was aspiring to destroy proof, she stated, since he didn’t know he was underneath investigation. Additionally, Jacob argued, he was arrested earlier than he was in a position to make a full confession with an lawyer current to the FBI.

Jacob claimed that concern of prosecution, public shaming and “being made a felon” have been sufficient of a punishment and deterrent for others to not take part in an rebel in hopes of a lighter sentence.

Allan is one among 4 defendants from round Sacramento area who’ve been charged over the assault on the Capitol. Valerie Elaine Ehrke of Arbuckle obtained probation after pleading responsible to a misdemeanor final 12 months. Two males have pending instances: Sean McHugh, an Auburn resident who stays in custody, and Jorge Riley of Sacramento.

Allan is anticipated to self-surrender with the date of his imprisonment pending due to a medical process his physician really useful.

©2022 McClatchy Washington Bureau. Go to mcclatchydc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content material Company, LLC.

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