A former member of the far-right extremist group Proud Boys has been sentenced to 10 years in prison over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot after going on the run.
The individual was identified as 52-year-old Christopher Worrell, who was initially charged with assaulting law enforcement officers at the Capitol on Jan. 6. He was later found guilty of those charges. However, four days before his sentencing in August 2023, he cut off his ankle monitor and fled, leading authorities to conduct a six-week manhunt.
Proud Boys Members Sentenced to Prison
When the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested Worrell in September inside his house in Naples, Florida, he was found unresponsive and had some items on his person. These included night-vision goggles, a wallet that had roughly $4,000 in cash, and a bag with new camping gear inside.
The individual had told investigators that he had faked an opioid overdose as a strategy to delay his sentencing. Sheriff's deputies were required to guard the suspect inside his hospital room during his five-day alleged recovery, as per ABC News.
The United States government argued that Worrell "plotted" his trip to D.C. with other members of the Proud Boys. He was said to have brought weapons such as a shield and pepper gel and used the latter on Capitol Police officers who were fighting the mob at the Capitol.
In a sentencing memo on Aug. 13 that the Justice Department filed, officials said that once he was on Capitol grounds, Worrell spewed vitriol for half an hour. He targeted overwhelmed officers trying to restrain the mob in the area.
The memo added that when the suspect saw an opportunity to pepper spray the police line from deep within the crowd, he took it. The former Proud Boy member later bragged that he had "deployed a whole can" and was "f****ng handing it to them."
Trying To Escape Law Enforcement
Prosecutors said that the manhunt to find Worrell when he escaped was an "enormous waste of government resources." They requested a harsher sentence for the runaway Jan. 6 rioter. They initially sought a 14-year sentence for the suspect, whom they argued plotted with other members of the far-right extremist group to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election, according to The Hill.
Worrell's sentencing comes as dozens of rioters linked to the Proud Boys group have been charged over their role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riot. The former national chairman of the group, Enrique Tarrio, and three other Proud Boys leaders were convicted of seditious conspiracy in May last year.
Prior to his sentencing, Worrell spoke to the judge and emotionally characterized his conduct during the insurrection as "inexcusable and unjustified." He added that he was "truly sorry" to law enforcement and members of Congress.
Speaking to D.C. District Judge Royce Lamberth, the defendant said that nearly three years ago, he made some choices that he sincerely regrets. On the other hand, prosecutors said Worrell had a history of being dishonest with officials since he was arrested and had "actively deceived" law enforcement, according to CBS News.
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