Another Capitol rioter who has already been in jail for the past 11 months is sentenced to two years and two months in prison.
According to reports, Cleveland Grover Meredith Jr. was arrested a day after the Jan. Capitol riot for sending threatening texts to his relatives about his plans to kill House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Meredith Jr.'s relative informed his mother about the texts, and the matriarch was the one that reached out to the FBI.
The Donald Trump supporter's cryptic texts contained an alleged plan to confront Pelosi while she's on the podium giving a speech, and he would put a bullet on her head.
Meredith Jr. told his relatives that he wouldn't go to jail for killing Pelosi and would instead be sent to the morgue. He also sent a similar text message to his friend, and the latter encouraged Meredith Jr. to leave the Capitol in peace because this is what Trump would've wanted.
The insurrectionist countered his friend's claims by saying that Trump doesn't want his supporters to be peaceful. Instead, the ex-POTUS wants heads, and Meredith Jr. promised to deliver.
Meredith Jr. is struggling with his mental health, and those close to him are aware of his issues. His mom encouraged him to seek treatment, but he refused.
Judge sentences Donald Trump supporter to 28 months in jail
Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentenced the Trump supporter by saying that he's a threat to the community and should, therefore, be locked up.
Three months prior to his sentence, Meredith Jr. pleaded guilty to one count of felony threats as a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. His cooperation with the FBI was also taken into account during his sentencing.
According to Jackson, Meredith Jr's decision to send the threats to his relatives instead of Pelosi herself accounted for something. And the fact that he has been behaving well in prison throughout the past 12 months gave him a lesser sentence.
Judge reacts to 2020 election fraud claims
The judge also acknowledged all the lies being said about the 2020 election until today.
"The heated, inflammatory rhetoric that brought the defendant to the District has not subsided. The lie that the election was stolen and illegitimate is still being perpetrated - indeed, it's being amplified, not only on social media but on mainstream media outlets. Worse, it's become heresy for a member of the [former] president's party to say otherwise," Jackson said via the Huffington Post.
Donald Trump supporter defends himself
Meredith Jr's lawyer, Paul Kiyonaga, tried to portray his cryptic text messages as hyperbole prior to the sentencing. He also said that his client is known for exaggerating his stories. However, it's unlikely for the 53-year-old to follow through with his threats, according to WUSA9.
When Meredith Jr. addressed the court, he also said that his texts contained empty threats and had no intention to follow through. He also admitted to being out of control on Jan. 6.
But Jackson insisted that she can't just let Meredith Jr. go. After all, he's also aware that the language that he used wasn't acceptable, according to Politico.
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