Two men, one from New York and the other from New Jersey, are the latest to be sentenced to prison for their roles in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Michael Oliveras, 51, from Lindenwold, N.J., traveled to Washington, D.C. prepared for ”war” as he sought to stop Congress from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, according to evidence compiled by federal prosecutors.
A release from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Washington, D.C. said Oliveras “swarmed and helped attack a unit of police officers” and “engaged in a brawl with officers.”
Prosecutors said Oliveras spent 5 hours at the Capitol. He was ejected from the building twice and then reentered a third time. He called lawmakers “traitors” and encouraged fellow rioters to drag members of Congress “out by their hair.”
Much of the evidence used to charge him was from videos he recorded himself and posted online. Even after Oliveras was arrested, prosecutors found he was posting videos on YouTube in which he claimed he was not sorry for his behavior and that he would “do it again.”
Oliveras pleaded guilty to one of five charges against him, but later changed course and opted for a jury trial. A federal jury found him guilty of all charges including felony and misdemeanor charges for assaulting a police officer, civil disorder and obstruction of an official proceeding.
U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell sentenced Oliveras to five years in prison Thursday.
He is just one of the 1,504 people who have been charged with crimes in connection to the riots at the Capitol on January 6.
James Weeks, 55, from Sodus, N.Y., was sentenced Friday to more than two years in jail for his role in the attack.
Weeks pleaded guilty to charges that he hit a police officer, held open a door to let rioters into the Capitol and smashed windows there.
Lawyers for both men did not immediately respond to a request for comment.