Ronald Sandlin, a participant in last year’s Capitol riot who made his way inside the Capitol building during last year’s violence about 20 minutes after the building was breached and participated in violence against police, has been sentenced to over five years in prison in federal court in D.C. His sentence was 63 months, which is what federal prosecutors sought.
Sandlin previously pleaded guilty to criminal charges including conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers. Sandlin prepared for the riot days before it actually happened with two co-conspirators who’ve also been charged. Sandlin even sought donations in support of his eventual trip to the capital, and he also posted an image online of one of his criminally charged associates with a gun. Sandlin and the two others, Nathaniel DeGrave and Josiah Colt, also talked about shipping firearms to Sandlin’s Tennessee residence ahead of their journey to D.C. Inside the Capitol, Sandlin and DeGrave pushed through officers in hopes of opening a door to help other rioters with getting inside the building. Sandlin and his two companions also later entered a portion of the Senate chamber. Before entering, Sandlin got into physical altercations with officers guarding an entrance to the gallery above the chamber.
Sandlin subsequently smoked marijuana in the Rotunda. Before joining the mob streaming into the Capitol, Sandlin streamed himself online speaking in support of seizing the Capitol. He pushed for “other patriots” to “take the Capitol,” remarks similar in nature to other comments made by Capitol riot participants that have come up in obstruction cases stemming from the violence. The rhetoric seems to clearly depict intent underlying these rioters’ acts.
Colt, Sandlin’s associate, was infamously photographed during the Capitol violence hanging from a ledge overlooking the Senate chamber. Although a Justice Department press release notes Sandlin carried a knife into the mob assault on the Capitol, the car in which he arrived was apparently stocked with a cache of weapons, including two pistols, two magazines of ammo, containers of bear spray, gas masks, body armor, several knives, and further equipment, per the Associated Press. DeGrave, Colt, and Sandlin traveled together. “Your life is not worth it… you’re going to die, get out of the way,” Sandlin shouted at cops as he fought with them inside the Capitol, trying to open that door to the exterior of the building.
Sandlin has expressed remorse — in apparent contrast to two other rioters sentenced to four years in prison this week, a duo including Hawaii man and founder of the state chapter of the Proud Boys Nicholas Ochs. Ochs and fellow riot participant Nicholas DeCarlo chanted “four more years!” in a clip that circulated — and was apparently posted — after they received their sentences. They were the two responsible for a message of “Murder the Media” written on a door inside the building, which was apparently the name of a social media presence they shared.
