Man who told jurors he had 'fun' at the Capitol riot is sentenced to 6 years in prison

WASHINGTON A Virginia man who told his wife and a federal jury that he had fun at the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced on Friday to six years in prison for attacking police as he stormed the building.

Markus Maly's prison sentence is significantly lower than the punishment that prosecutors sought for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. The Justice Department had recommended a prison sentence of 15 years and eight months for Maly, a flooring installer.

A prosecutor described Maly, 49, as a lifelong criminal with 33 prior convictions on his record, including two for battery of a law enforcement officer. But the judge who sentenced Maly noted that most of his crimes date back to his 20s.

Maly told U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta that he regrets traveling to Washington and following the mob of then-President Donald Trump's supporters to the Capitol. But he insisted that he merely occupied space in the crowd and denied attacking and pepper-spraying police.