Ray Epps, a 62-year-old defendant from the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill protest, was sentenced Tuesday to a year of probation.
According to The Hill, Epps pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct in September in a deal with prosecutors from President Joe Biden’s Justice Department.
NBC reported that Epps was previously a supporter of former President Donald Trump before being accused by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and other conservative leaders of allegedly serving as an undercover government agent who worked to incite Jan. 6 protesters during the Capitol Hill protest.
During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Epps told Chief Judge James Boasberg, “Jan. 6 violence was not generated by the FBI; it was generated by people like me who supported President Trump and listened to his lies.”
Epps claimed Tuesday that despite his previous beliefs, he now believes Biden won the 2020 election. The Jan. 6 defendant claimed to have experienced a “life-changing reality shift” when the “Trump cult” accused him of being a government operative.
READ MORE: Video: Over 200 FBI agents infiltrated Jan 6 crowd, GOP Rep says
Addressing his actions on Jan. 6 that led to Tuesday’s court sentencing, Epps said, “In hindsight, I realize that’s not what a constitution-loving American should have done.”
Before announcing the sentence for Epps on Tuesday, Boasberg noted that over 700 individuals “have been sentenced in this courthouse for their role in January 6th.” The judge explained that “not one” of the individuals sentenced in the courthouse was an FBI agent or an Antifa member.
“Ray Epps has been unfairly scapegoated. He was not a secret agent trying to trick Trump supporters,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gordon said on Tuesday. “He is not innocent either.”
Boasberg claimed that Epps was “vilified in a matter unique to January 6 defendants” since he received threats and “suffered” for things the defendant “didn’t do.”
“Given all of that mitigation, I believe prison is not warranted,” Boasberg added. As a result, Epps was sentenced to a year of probation and 100 hours of community service, according to NBC News. Axios reported that Epps will also be required to pay $500 in restitution and a special assessment fee of $25.
Highlighting the contrast between the sentencing of Epps and the sentencing of other Jan. 6 defendants, Greg Price, a former Daily Caller journalist, tweeted, “For reference, the average sentence a January 6 defendant has received is 3 years. For those who receive guilty pleas like Epps did, it has been two years. Yet for some reason the guy who instigated the Capitol riot has escaped with probation and community service.”
