20 Jul 2021
A man who engaged in non-violent protest at the Capitol on January 6 was sentenced to eight months in prison this week for obstructing an official proceeding, while hundreds charged in violent riots last summer have seen their cases dropped.
Paul Allard Hodgkins, 38, of Tampa, Florida, was sentenced Monday after he pleaded guilty to a single felony count of obstructing an official proceeding, after he was identified in videos and photos inside the Senate chamber carrying a Trump 2020 flag.
While the count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and prosecutors asked for 18 months, Hodgkins who did not engage in any violence or property damage received eight months, the longest punishment of three sentenced so far.
Protester Sentenced to 8 Months for Entering Capitol, 100s of BLM Cases Dropped
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Capitol riots: First felony jail sentence given out after
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Florida man gets 8 months in prison in 1st felony sentence from Capitol riot Pete Williams © Provided by NBC News
A Florida man who was seen carrying a large red Trump 2020 flag on the floor of the U.S. Senate during the Capitol riot received eight months in prison Monday in the first felony sentence from the Jan. 6 attack.
Paul Allard Hodgkins, 38, of Tampa, was arrested Feb. 16 after the FBI received a tip identifying him among the hundreds of people seen in photos and videos inside the Capitol. He pleaded guilty in June to a single felony count of obstructing an official proceeding, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.