First Rioter To Enter US Capitol Building During Jan 6 Attack Sentenced To Over Four Years In Prison

Michael Sparks, a 47-year-old former factory worker from Cecilia, Kentucky, has been sentenced to four years and five months in prison for his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Sparks holds the distinction of being the first rioter to enter the building during the insurrection, an act that U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly described as a catalyst for the day’s events.

The sentencing comes after a jury convicted Sparks on all six charges he faced, including a felony count of interfering with police during a civil disorder. Prosecutors had recommended a sentence of four years and nine months, while Sparks’ defense attorney argued for one year of home detention.

During the sentencing hearing, Sparks expressed remorse for the events of January 6 but maintained his belief that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent and “completely taken from the American public.”
“I am remorseful that what transpired that day didn’t help anybody,” Sparks said. “I am remorseful that our country is in the state it’s in.”
Judge Kelly, however, told Sparks that he didn’t appear to fully grasp the gravity of his actions, stating that there was nothing patriotic about what was a “national disgrace.” The judge said, “I don’t really think you appreciate the full gravity of what happened that day and, quite frankly, the full seriousness of what you did.”

Evidence presented during the trial showed that Sparks had used social media to promote conspiracy theories and advocate for civil war in the weeks leading up to the riot. “It’s time to drag them out of Congress. It’s tyranny,” he posted on Facebook three days before the riot.

On the day of the attack, he traveled to Washington, D.C. with co-workers to attend then-President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally before marching to the Capitol.

After the rally, Sparks and a friend, Joseph Howe, joined a crowd in marching to the Capitol. Both of them wore tactical vests. Howe was captured on video repeatedly saying, “we’re getting in that building.” Off camera, Sparks added: “All it’s going to take is one person to go. The rest is following,” according to prosecutors. Sparks’ attorney argued that the evidence doesn’t prove that Sparks made that statement.

Sparks entered the building through a broken window, undeterred by pepper spray used by Capitol Police Sgt. Victor Nichols. His actions were described by Nichols as “the catalyst for the building being completely breached,” emboldening others to follow.

Inside the Capitol, Sparks joined other rioters in chasing Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman up flights of stairs, screaming “This is our America!” at police officers. He left the building approximately 10 minutes later.

Sparks’ attorney downplayed his client’s distinction as the first rioter to enter the building. “While technically true in a time-line sense, he did not lead the crowd into the building or cause the breach through which he and others entered,” Wendelsdorf wrote. “Actually, there were eight different points of access that day separately and independently exploited by the protestors.”

However, the judge highlighted the significance of Sparks being the first to enter the Capitol, stating that when and where Sparks entered the Capitol was an important factor in his sentencing.

“I think it’s undeniable that the first person” to enter the Capitol “would have an emboldening and encouraging effect on everyone who was at least in your vicinity,” Kelly told Sparks. “To say it wasn’t a material, key point in the mob’s taking of the Capitol, I think, is just ignoring the obvious.”

Sparks was arrested in Kentucky less than a month after the riot. Sparks and Howe were charged together in a November 2022 indictment. Howe pleaded guilty to assault and obstruction charges and was sentenced last year to four years and two months in prison.

Sparks’ case is part of the ongoing legal aftermath of the January 6 insurrection. To date, more than 1,400 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes, with approximately 950 convicted and sentenced. Over 600 defendants have received prison terms ranging from a few days to 22 years.

Melissa Enoch

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