WASHINGTON — A Jan. 6 rioter who smashed in a window on the U.S. Capitol invoked Jeffrey Epstein moments after he was sentenced to 5 months in federal jail Thursday.
Ohio’s Troy Faulkner — who smashed in a window on the U.S. Capitol whereas carrying a jacket bearing his portray firm’s title and telephone quantity — was handed a five-month sentence by Chief U.S. District Choose Beryl Howell on Thursday.
Faulkner instructed the courtroom he supported former President Donald Trump as a result of he believed Trump was “combatting human trafficking,” a seeming reference to the QAnon conspiracy idea. Faulkner cited inflated numbers in regards to the variety of kids who go lacking yearly.
Howell famous that Faulkner burned the “Faulkner Portray” jacket he wore on the U.S. Capitol, and questioned whether or not Faulkner had truly stopped believing Trump’s lies in regards to the 2020 presidential election, as his lawyer had implied in a sentencing memo.
After Faulkner’s lawyer John Machado mentioned that Faulkner “was and nonetheless is a fan” of Trump, Howell requested whether or not he nonetheless believes all the things that Trump says. Machado mentioned his consumer now is aware of that Trump shouldn’t be the authentic president.
Howell mentioned it was cheap to query whether or not Jan. 6 defendants like Faulkner had been “nonetheless prone to an enormous lie” and will have interaction in political violence sooner or later.
Whereas leaving the courthouse after his sentencing, Faulkner walked about to information cameras outdoors and made a remark to the media about Epstein.
“How about that Epstein island checklist? How ’bout that one? Wanna speak about that? The place’s the Epstein Island checklist?” Faulkner mentioned, referring to intercourse trafficking by the disgraced financier, who has been the topic of quite a few conspiracy theories. Epstein died by suicide whereas in federal custody, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted within the intercourse trafficking scheme in December 2021.
Faulkner, his legal professional mentioned throughout his sentencing listening to, was “at a greater place” than he was when he smashed in a Capitol window. However Faulkner appeared to go a bit off script throughout his feedback to the choose and instructed that rioters had been someway arrange by police.
“We had been instructed by the president to go there,” Faulkner mentioned earlier than the choose. “I wasn’t in my greatest way of thinking. … I have been remorseful day by day.”
