An Indiana woman on Wednesday became the first defendant to be sentenced in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol and avoided time behind bars. And a member of the Oath Keepers extremist group pleaded guilty in a conspiracy case and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in a major step forward for the massive investigation. The two developments signal that the cases against those charged in the deadly siege are slowly advancing, the AP reports, even as the US Department of Justice and the courthouse in Washington, DC, struggle under the weight of roughly 500 federal arrests across the nation. And it comes as Republicans attempt to play down the violence committed by members of the mob supporting former President Trump. Graydon Young, who was accused alongside 15 other members and associates of the Oath Keepers of conspiring to block the congressional certification of President Biden's electoral victory, pleaded guilty to two counts: conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding.
It was the first guilty plea in the conspiracy case against members of the group. The second charge calls for up to 20 years in prison, but US District Judge Amit Mehta said federal sentencing guidelines call for Young to serve 5¼ to 6½ years. Prosecutors may seek less time in exchange for his cooperation against other defendants. Young, 55, of Englewood, Florida, was arrested in February and charged in the conspiracy case accusing members of the Oath Keepers of coming to Washington prepared to use violence and intent on stopping the certification of the vote. Anna Morgan Lloyd, 49, of Indiana, was ordered by a federal judge to serve three years' probation, perform 120 hours of community service, and pay $500 in restitution after admitting to unlawfully entering the Capitol. She pleaded guilty to a single misdemeanor charge under a deal with prosecutors. After the riot, Lloyd described Jan. 6 on Facebook as the “best day ever." On Wednesday, she apologized to the court, her family and "the American people," saying she went to Washington that day to peacefully show her support for Trump.
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