Aaron Mostofsky, the New York City judge’s son who joined the mob that stormed the Capitol last year, was sentenced to eight months in prison on Friday.
Mostofsky, 35, carried a walking stick and had draped his body in furs during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. He told a friend that he chose his attire because even a caveman would know the 2020 presidential election had been “stolen,” according to court documents.
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U.S. District Judge James Boasberg admonished Mostofsky for believing former President Donald Trump’s election lies.
“I hope you’ll leave some of the fantasy world behind,” the judge told him in court.
Boasberg is also requiring Mostofsky to pay a $2,000 fine, complete 200 hours of community service and submit to one year of supervised release.
Mostofsky’s father, Steven Mostofsky, is a New York state judge in Brooklyn.
“What you and others did on that day imposed an indelible stain on how our nation is perceived, both at home and abroad, and that can’t be undone,” Boasberg said, per The Associated Press.
Supporters of President Donald Trump, including Aaron Mostofsky, right, who is identified in his arrest warrant, walk down the stairs outside the Senate Chamber in the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021.
via Associated Press
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Prosecutors had recommended a 15-month sentence, with a three-year supervised release period.
Mostofsky expressed regret for his actions, saying that he began to make bad decisions as the protest devolved into violent chaos.
But prosecutors say his actions were intentional ― that he voluntarily joined a group of Trump supporters who were actively resisting law enforcement outside the Capitol building and helped the mob break through the police line.
On his way up the stairs, Mostofsky picked up a police flak jacket and put it on before becoming the 12th rioter to breach the building, court documents say. While inside, he was interviewed by a New York Post reporter, saying that lawmakers “shouldn’t be afraid” but should investigate the baseless allegations of fraud in the election.
At another point, Mostofsky picked up a riot shield, but was stripped of the equipment by a U.S. Capitol Police officer.
Since Jan. 6, 2021, authorities have arrested nearly 800 individuals in connection with the unprecedented attack, including around 250 people who were charged with assaulting, resisting or impeding police officers on the scene.
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Many have taken plea deals so far. Trials for other defendants kicked off in March and have been largely a win for federal authorities.
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