- A Pennsylvania Capitol riot defendant was sentenced to one year probation and a $2,000 fine.
- Prosecutors say Julia Sizer initially lied to investigators about her role in the Capitol attack.
- Ahead of her Tuesday sentencing, Sizer expressed remorse and embarrassment for her role in the siege.
A Pennsylvania woman who initially lied to investigators about her role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot was sentenced to one year of probation and a $2,000 fine at a Tuesday hearing.
Julia Sizer pleaded guilty to one count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building in November.
The nail technician initially faced four charges stemming from her role in the insurrection, including knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building. But as the government works to prosecute more than 760 people arrested in connection to the attack, federal prosecutors have offered several non-violent rioters the lesser parading charge in exchange for guilty pleas.
Prosecutors say Sizer traveled to Washington, DC, on January 6, 2021, to attend former President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally. Investigators later identified Sizer on CCTV footage inside the Capitol building, according to charging documents.
But when agents first contacted Sizer about her role in the siege, she denied ever entering the Capitol building, prosecutors said. Weeks later, she admitted to entering the Capitol and told investigators she took video from inside the building.
Photos from the day show Sizer in a distinct red, white, and blue beanie emblazoned with the word “Trump.”
In a sentencing memo reviewed by Insider, Sizer’s attorney, Robert E. Mielnicki, characterized his client as remorseful and apologetic for her participation in the riot. He also pointed the finger at Trump.
“This is Counsel saying this, not Defendant, but if a wild conspiracy theorist like Donald Trump was never elected, Defendant would have lived the remainder of her life without ever appearing before a judge,” the lawyer wrote.
The Department of Justice requested U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper sentence Sizer to three years of probation, but Mielnicki said the request was excessive and instead asked for a year of probation and a $5,000 fine.
Cooper ultimately decided on one year of probation and a $2,000 fine for Sizer.
In court on Tuesday, Sizer said she left the Capitol so quickly on January 6 because she was “sick to her stomach,” according to Trib Live.
“I turned around because it kind of snapped into my head, ‘What am I doing? This isn’t me,'” Sizer reportedly said.
Sizer told the judge she was embarrassed and ashamed.
“I don’t want that to define the rest of my life,” Sizer said, according to the outlet. “I really am truly sorry for my actions.”
An attorney for Sizer did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
