Judge claimed Epps had been victimized, sentenced him to 1-year probation, $500 restitution, and 100 hours of community service.
J6 provocateur and suspected federal informant Ray Epps was fined and sentenced Tuesday to probation and community service, curiously avoiding any jail time despite being caught on film repeatedly encouraging protesters to enter the US Capitol.
On Tuesday, Federal District Court Judge James E. Boasberg granted leniency for Epps who he claimed had been victimized by other protesters, sentencing him to one year of probation, a $500 fine, and 100 hours of community service.
“Trust in elected officials and Fox News led to my gullibility in believing the election was stolen,” Epps reportedly told the judge, according to the New York Times. “What I witnessed was rage and vulgarity on a level I’ve never seen before, and it was generated by people like me, not the F.B.I. or antifa.”
Judge Boasberg told Epps, “While many defendants have been vilified in a way unique to Jan. 6, you seem to be the first to have suffered for what you didn’t do.”
The extremely light sentence was criticized on social media, with many pointing out Epps, who was evidently allowed to phone into his hearing, was one of the only provocateurs who admitted he “orchestrated” acts that day.
“Ray Epps gets probation, a $500 fine and is able to phone into his sentencing?!? Are you fricken kidding me?” asked former President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.
Ray Epps gets probation, a $500 fine and is able to phone into his sentencing?!? Are you fricken kidding me?
Yea guys, he totally wasn’t put there to incite things by the feds. Our country is screwed… the traitors in charge aren’t even pretending anymore. #Fedsurrection
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 9, 2024
“Yea guys, he totally wasn’t put there to incite things by the feds. Our country is screwed… the traitors in charge aren’t even pretending anymore,” Don Jr. added.
“Ray Epps, the man who directed people to go into the Capitol and privately claimed credit for orchestrating the Capitol breach, gets one year probation,” noted Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), adding, “Nothing to see here!”
Ray Epps, the man who directed people to go into the Capitol and privately claimed credit for orchestrating the Capitol breach, gets one year probation. Nothing to see here! https://t.co/mlUr0mtur2
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 9, 2024
“While many J6 protesters are rotting in jail for non-violent crimes, Epps escapes a prison term entirely,” noted commentator Greg Price.
BREAKING: Ray Epps, the only January 6 protester who actually told people to go into the Capitol, has been officially sentenced to one year probation, $500 restitution, and 100 hours community service.
While many J6 protesters are rotting in jail for non-violent crimes, Epps… pic.twitter.com/qPWwktAPbu
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 9, 2024
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio for instance received a 22-year sentence over J6 charges, despite not being at the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Ray Epps who was caught on video encouraging people to go into the Capitol and was involved in the first breach of barriers at the Capital gets a year of probation.
The Proud Boys’ former leader Enrique Tarrio who wasn’t at the Capitol, was jailed for 22 years for… pic.twitter.com/LMp0oAYhvG
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) January 9, 2024
COVERUP: In a secret sentencing hearing Ray Epps was given one year of probation, $500 in restitution, and 100 hours of community service. Epps never spent an hour in jail and was allowed to attend the hearing from home.
pic.twitter.com/HFOpOVSSTf
— @amuse (@amuse) January 9, 2024
I just scanned DOJ’s list of sentences for J6ers.
Most 1752 convictions result in some amount of jail time followed by a period of supervised release.
Probation only is usually 2-3 years.
Real outrage here is that Epps wasn’t charged with more serious offenses to begin with. https://t.co/tLUbN5hPJb
— Julie Kelly 🇺🇸 (@julie_kelly2) January 9, 2024
The fact that Epps was allowed to phone in to his sentencing indicates that it was predetermined that jail was never on the table.
The judge would want him available for possible surrender otherwise.
This was all for show. https://t.co/WroGOnaayk
— Brandon Straka (@BrandonStraka) January 9, 2024
Ray Epps: “We’re going *in* to the Capitol!!”
Trump: “protest peacefully & patriotically”
Ray Epps: 1 year probation, no jail time, supported by NY Times & J6 Committee
Trump: Mar a Lago raided by FBI, 4 indictments, 90+ felonies, impeached, blamed by media for “insurrection”
— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) January 9, 2024
Ray Epps gets 1 year probation and Matthew Graves is going to start taking more political prisoners out of innocent people who never went in.
This proves OVERWHELMINGLY J6 is a political witch hunt against MAGA and it’s so obvious that Biden’s DOJ will actually help us in 2024. https://t.co/ymTXXc8Zip
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) January 9, 2024
Here are several video clips of Epps on Jan. 5 inciting people to breach the Capitol, prompting some in the crowd to call him a “fed.”
Here’s Epps claiming the “Capitol is our enemy” while arguing with people to break into the Capitol:
Here’s Epps helping coordinate the initial breach of the Capitol barricades and participating in clashes with police at the Capitol steps:
Despite evidence of Epps encouraging protesters, leftist mainstream media, including CBS’s 60 Minutes and the New York Times, have bent over backwards to defend Epps against MAGA J6 Truthers who assert federal informants instigated the event.
Jan. 6 protester Ray Epps was sentenced to one year of probation for his role in the attack on the Capitol. 60 Minutes reported last April that conspiracists claimed Epps was a government plant sent to incite the insurrection, despite no evidence. https://t.co/nfusCpmxys pic.twitter.com/KOIpMF9bMT
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) January 9, 2024
Indeed, when compared to other J6 defendants who were imprisoned for little more than walking through Capitol doors held open by Capitol Police officers, Epps’ sweetheart deal stinks to high heaven, and does little to quell concerns he was a federal informant tasked with instigating events that day.
