Retired New Jersey State Police trooper who stormed Capitol is sentenced to probation

WASHINGTON (AP) — A retired New Jersey State Police trooper who stormed the U.S. Capitol with a mob of Donald Trump supporters was sentenced to probation instead of prison on Friday, as the federal courts reached a milestone in the punishment of Capitol rioters.

Videos captured Michael Daniele, 61, yelling and flashing a middle finger near police officers guarding the Capitol before he entered the building on Jan. 6, 2021.

Daniele expressed his regret for his role in the attack before U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta sentenced him to two years of probation, including 30 days of home confinement with electronic monitoring, and ordered him to pay a $2,500 fine. Prosecutors had recommended an 11-month prison sentence for Daniele.

“My family has been through hell,” Daniele said before learning his sentence. “I would never do anything like this again.”

The number of sentencings for Capitol riot cases topped the 1,000 mark on Friday, according to an Associated Press review of court records that began more than three years ago.

More than 1,500 people have been charged with Jan. 6-related federal crimes. At least 647 of them have been convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years. Over 200 have been sentenced to some form of home confinement.

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