Federal prosecutors are seeking a six-month sentence for Ray Epps, a former Marine and onetime chapter president for the far-right Oath Keepers, over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
A court filing in Washington, D.C., said the government recommends the “high end of the applicable guidelines range” of six months of incarceration, one year of supervised release, and $500 in restitution after the 62-year-old Epps pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds.
Epps is reportedly set to face sentencing next Tuesday.
“Such a sentence protects the community, promotes respect for the law, and deters future crime by imposing restrictions on Epps’ liberty as a consequence of his behavior, while recognizing his acceptance of responsibility for his crime, his efforts to deescalate conflicts between rioters and police officers, and his cooperation with the FBI and Congress,” prosecutors said of their recommendation.
In the filing, prosecutors described how Epps encouraged protestors to march to the U.S. Capitol and later joined the “mob” of rioters as they stormed their way through barricades onto restricted grounds.
Read the sentencing memo below:
“Even if Epps did not physically touch law enforcement officers or go inside of the building, he undoubtedly engaged in collective aggressive conduct,” prosecutors said.
Epps’ involvement in the riot sparked numerous debunked conspiracy theories that he was acting as a federal agent on January 6th. The former Marine later filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox News over the claims. (RELATED: Former Marine, Ray Epps, Sues Fox News Over Jan. 6 Coverage)
His complaint reads, in part, “Fox knew it needed a scapegoat for January 6th. It settled on Ray Epps and began promoting the lie that Epps was a federal agent who incited the attack on the Capitol.”
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