Philip Sean Grillo who was part of the protest and subsequent violent events at the Capitol on January 6, 2021, will be spending a year in prison after being sentenced on Friday.
Law & Crime reported that Grillo, a former congressional candidate, was sentenced after being found guilty of multiple charges including obstruction and trespassing.
Charges against Grillo included obstruction of an official proceeding, trespassing, and picketing in a Capitol building.
Grillo, a 49-year-old from New York, entered the Capitol through a damaged window near the Senate Wing door. He was carrying a megaphone, signaling his active participation in the riot.
Inside, Grillo was seen pushing past police officers to open doors, allowing other rioters to enter deeper into the Capitol. His actions were recorded in multiple videos during the chaos.
A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court resulted in Grillo being cleared of an additional obstruction charge. However, this did not affect the primary convictions that led to his one-year sentence.
During the proceedings, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth emphasized the serious nature of the January 6 events. He criticized the defendants, including Grillo, for attempting to minimize their misconduct.
Lamberth highlighted that most of the over 100 Capitol riot trials have ended in guilty verdicts, reflecting the substantial evidence against the accused.
Judge Lamberth expressed frustration over the defenses presented by rioters, pointing out that many claimed the riot was a peaceful protest or mere trespass. He stressed the importance of trial by jury but noted the overwhelming evidence of guilt in these cases.
"They have claimed that the Capitol Riots were a peaceful protest or, at worst, a mere trespass, implying or saying outright that the rioters are ‘political prisoners’ being punished for protected First Amendment activity," Lamberth wrote.
This remark was made in response to numerous defendants who have tried to downplay the January 6 events as insignificant.
As he was taken into custody, Grillo made a striking comment about his expectations for legal relief: "Trump’s gonna pardon me," he defiantly stated, expecting intervention from former President Donald Trump.
This statement was noted during his arrest and has become a focal point in discussions about the mindset of some rioters.
At his trial, Grillo claimed ignorance of the fact that Congress was meeting on the day he stormed the Capitol, despite his previous candidacy for a congressional seat.
Grillo was arrested by the FBI on February 23, 2021, in New York. His involvement in the riot was well-documented, not just through surveillance but also through his own recorded statements and actions.
"I’m here to stop the steal. It’s our f—ing house!" Grillo shouted during the riot, demonstrating his motivation for participating in the unlawful breach.
He further exclaimed in a video, "We f— did it! We got to the Capitol building. We f— did it! We f— did it, baby! We f— did it, you understand? We stormed the Capitol. We shut it down! We did it! We shut the mother..!"
In a moment captured during the riot, Grillo's disregard for the severity of the situation was evident when he asked, "Who’s smoking grass? Can I get a hit of that s—?" This occurred amidst the chaos inside the Capitol.
Such statements and actions by Grillo and other participants have led to ongoing legal and public debates about the nature of the January 6 incident and its repercussions on American democracy.
