GRAVETTE, Ark. — After being found guilty on all charges related to his role in the January 6 riot of the United States Capitol, Arkansas Richard Barnett has been sentenced to 54 months in prison.
The 61-year-old from Gravette became well-known after photos were posted online of him with his feet on Nancy Pelosi's office desk. He also took an envelope from her office, put a quarter on her desk, and left her a note that said, "Nancy, Bigo was here, you B****."
Barnett entered the U.S. Capitol alongside other rioters while carrying a U.S. flag and a stun gun walking stick.
Barnett, testifying near the end of his trial, said he regrets coming to Washington for the “Stop the Steal” rally where then-President Donald Trump addressed a crowd of supporters.
Barnett said he was looking for a bathroom inside the Capitol when he unwittingly entered Pelosi's office and encountered two news photographers. He said one of the photographers told him to “act natural,” so he lounged back in a chair and flung his legs onto the desk.
According to CBS correspondent Scott MacFarlane, the jury took "barely two hours" to render their verdict. Barnett's sentencing will take place on May 3— the judge denied the prosecutor's request for him to stay in jail until sentencing.
The Judge reportedly told Barnett that "You're a face of January 6. You enjoy the notoriety," and stated that "You're too old for this nonsense."
According to CBS, Barnett said during the sentencing that he was "not proud" of his conduct, but that he was not "threatening," adding that "They want me to be remorseful for things I did not do."
Barnett reportedly stated that "January 6 was a traumatic day for everyone, not just law enforcement."
Barnett faced eight total charges, including:
- civil disorder
- obstruction of an official proceeding & aiding and abetting
- entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon
- disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds with a deadly or dangerous weapon
- entering and remaining in certain rooms in a capitol building
- disorderly conduct in a capitol building
- parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a capitol building
- theft of government property
This article contains contributions from the Associated Press.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com.