Topline
Aaron Mostofsky—a Brooklyn judge’s son who was photographed dressed like a caveman in fur pelts inside the Capitol on January 6 and carrying stolen riot gear —was sentenced to eight months in prison on Friday, adding to a growing list of rioters who have been sentenced for their role in the breach of the Capitol.
Aaron Mostofsky, right, walks down the stairs outside the Senate Chamber in the U.S. Capitol on … [+] January 6.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Key Facts
The sentencing comes three months after Mostofsky, who prosecutors said was one of the first rioters to storm the Capitol wearing a bulletproof vest he stole from Capitol Police over a fur pelt, pleaded guilty to a felony civil disorder charge for his role in the January 6 riot.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg told Mostofsky—who is the son of Kings County Supreme Court Judge Steven Mostofsky—it seemed he was acting out “a fantasy game” by dressing up like a caveman, which Mostofsky has said he did to make the point that fraud in the 2020 presidential election was “so obvious, even a caveman would know the election was stolen,” according to the Justice Department.
Mostofsky expressed remorse for his participation in the riot during the sentencing, saying he felt sorry for Capitol Police who had to deal with “chaos.”
Both Mostofsky and his father are registered Democrats, according to New York State election records, the New York Times previously reported.
Crucial Quote
“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, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, told Mostofsky during his sentencing.
Big Number
More than 800. That’s how many people have been arrested and charged with crimes related to the January 6 riots to date, according to Insider.
Key Background
Mostofsky is one of hundreds of rioters who breached the Capitol on January 6, spurred by former President Donald Trump’s false claims the 2020 presidential election was rigged against him. Prosecutors say the 35-year-old Mostofsky carried a walking stalk and entered the Capitol building through a door other rioters had forced open, where he grabbed an officer’s riot gear and followed a mob chasing Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman up a staircase. He also allegedly cheered other rioters who were fighting with police outside the Capitol. The sentencing comes as the January 6 Committee, the select congressional panel tasked with investigating the attack on the Capitol, continues to hear testimony from Trump’s inner circle, including his son Donald Trump Jr., who reportedly spoke to the panel on Wednesday. Only a fraction of those arrested for charges related to the Capitol riot have been sentenced so far, according to a list of cases tracked by Time. The sentences to date have ranged from one month for a senior from the University of Kentucky who took a selfie inside the Capitol building to five years for a man who attacked police officers.
What To Watch For
Other January 6 sentences to come. Hundreds of hearings are scheduled this year, according to Time.
Further Reading
Son of Brooklyn Judge Is Arrested Over Role in Riot at Capitol (New York Times)
Man Who Stormed Capitol in Caveman Costume Gets Prison (Associated Press)
At least 823 people have been charged in the Capitol insurrection so far. This searchable table shows them all. (Insider)
