First individual to enter US Capitol Building during Jan 6 attack sentenced to over four years in prison

Michael Sparks, the initial individual to enter the United States Capitol during the disturbance on January 6, has been sentenced to a term exceeding four years.

Michael Sparks, a 47-year-old former factory worker from Cecilia, Kentucky, has been sentenced to four years and five months in prison for his involvement in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Sparks is the first rioter to enter the building during the insurrection, an act that U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly characterized as a catalyst for the day’s events.

Sparks was convicted by a jury of all six offenses against him, including a felony count of interfering with police during a civil disorder, leading to his sentencing. Prosecutors had proposed a sentence of four years and nine months, while Sparks’ defense attorney advocated for one year of home detention.

Sparks expressed contrition for the events of January 6 during the sentencing hearing, but he remained adamant about his conviction that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent and “completely taken from the American public.”

“I am remorseful that the events of that day did not benefit anyone,” Sparks stated. “I am ashamed of the current state of our nation.”

Nevertheless, Judge Kelly informed Sparks that he did not seem to completely comprehend the gravity of his actions, asserting that a “national disgrace” was not patriotic. The judge stated, “I am of the opinion that you do not fully comprehend the gravity of the events that transpired on that day, nor, to be frank, the severity of your actions.”

During the trial, evidence was presented that Sparks had utilized social media to advocate for civil war and promote conspiracy theories in the weeks preceding the disturbance. “It is time to remove them from Congress.” “It is tyranny,” he wrote on Facebook three days prior to the disturbance.

He traveled to Washington, D.C. with colleagues on the day of the attack to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally of then-President Donald Trump, followed by a march to the Capitol.

Sparks and a companion, Joseph Howe, participated in a march to the Capitol following the rally. Tactical vests were worn by both individuals. Howe was repeatedly recorded on video uttering the phrase “we’re getting in that building.” Sparks stated, “It will only require one individual to depart.” This statement was made off camera. The remaining portions are forthcoming, as per the prosecution. Sparks’ attorney contended that the evidence does not establish that Sparks made that statement.

Despite the use of pepper spray by Capitol Police Sgt. Victor Nichols, sparks penetrated the building through a broken window. Nichols characterized his actions as “the catalyst for the building being completely breached,” which gave others the confidence to follow.

Inside the Capitol, Sparks and other demonstrators pursued Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman up flights of stairs, shouting “This is our America!” at the police officers. He exited the building approximately 10 minutes later.

The attorney for Sparks minimized his client’s status as the initial rioter to access the building. “Wendelsdorf wrote that, although technically accurate in a chronological sense, he did not lead the crowd into the building or cause the breach through which he and others entered.” “Indeed, the protestors independently and separately exploited eight distinct points of access that day.”

Nevertheless, the judge emphasized the importance of Sparks being the first to enter the Capitol, asserting that the timing and location of his entry were significant factors in his sentencing.

Kelly stated to Sparks, “I believe it is indisputable that the initial individual to enter the Capitol would have a motivating and inspiring impact on all individuals in the vicinity.” “I believe that to assert that it was not a material, critical aspect of the mob’s seizure of the Capitol is to simply disregard the obvious.”

Sparks was apprehended in Kentucky less than one month following the disturbance. In November 2022, Sparks and Howe were jointly accused in an indictment. Last year, Howe was sentenced to four years and two months in prison after pleading guilty to assault and obstruction charges.

The ongoing legal aftermath of the January 6 insurrection includes Sparks’ case. Approximately 950 individuals have been convicted and sentenced for federal offenses related to the Capitol riot, and over 1,400 individuals have been charged to date. The prison sentences of more than 600 defendants have varied from a few days to 22 years.