The son of a New York judge who wore a caveman costume and was among Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, was sentenced to eight months in prison.
Aaron Mostofsky, 35, was one of the first rebels to enter the no-go area around the Capitol, according to prosecutors, and wore a “caveman” hair suit.
U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said Mostofsky was “literally at the forefront” of the mafia attack.
“What you and others did that day has left an indelible mark on the way our nation is perceived, both at home and abroad, and this cannot be undone,” the judge added.
Mostofsky worked as an assistant architect in New York, and his father, Stephen Mostofsky, is a judge at Brooklyn State Court.
Mostofsky was the first Capitol rebel to be convicted of civil disorder.
Five people died and dozens were arrested after hundreds stormed the US Capitol in 2021 and more than 780 people were charged with federal riot crimes.
Mostofsky told a friend that the suit expressed his belief that “even a caveman” would know that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen by Donald Trump.
According to prosecutors, Mostofsky was among the first to break into the building itself and crash into a police barrier and steal a Capitol police bulletproof vest and shield.
Image: Last November ‘QAnon Shaman’ Jacob Chansley was in prison for 41 months for his role in the riots
Inside the building, he followed the rebels who chased Capitol police officer Eugene Goodman up the stairs to the Senate halls.
The judge also sentenced Mostofsky to one year of controlled release and ordered him to do 200 hours of community service and pay $ 2,000 in restitution.
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In response, Mostofsky said he was ashamed of his “contribution to the chaos of the day”, adding that he “regretted the officers who had to deal with this chaos”.
Justice Ministry prosecutor Michael Romano said the fact that Mostofsky was the son of a judge meant “he should be better able than other defendants to understand why allegations of electoral fraud are false”.
Mr Boasberg said none of the letters of support sent by Mostofski’s family and friends explained how he “went down into this rabbit hole of electoral fantasy”.
Aaron Mostofsky pleaded guilty in February to charges of a crime of civil disorder and charges of theft of state property and entering and staying in a building or restricted area.
Defense attorney Nicholas Smith described Mostofsky as a “spectator” who “carried on with the crowd” and did not go to the Capitol to prevent a peaceful transfer of power.
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