DALLAS (1080 KRLD)- A Dallas man could receive up to 16 months in federal prison admitting to his role in the January 6th uprising at the US Capitol. Troy Anthony Smocks entered a guilty plea to a charge of a social media threat to “kidnap and injure law enforcement officers, plea papers say.
Smocks, 58, was at the US Capitol January 6th as thousands of supporters of then President Donald Trump converged after a Presidential rally. Documents say there is no evidence that Smocks went inside.
But charging papers say during the time some insurrectionists were fighting with U.S. Capitol and D.C. Metro police, Smocks began posting threatening messages on the app, Parler.
“Today, January 6th, 2021, We Patriots by the millions have arrived in Washington, DC, carrying banners of support for the greatest President the World has ever known. But if we must… Many of us will return on January 19th, 2021, carrying our weapons in support of Our nation’s resolve, to which the world will never forget. We will come in numbers that no standing army or police agency can match. However, the police are NOT our enemy, unless they choose to be! All who will not stand with the American Patriots…or cannot stand with us, then, that would be a good time for you to take a few vacation days. -The American Patriot” an arrest affidavit says.
Days later Smocks posted a video on YouTube that suggested he was an Army veteran. Appearing in Army clothes, Smocks seemed to mock counter-protesters and urge other veterans to grab arms and hold a second rally in Washington January 19.
“Why don’t all of us veterans get together and have our own protest against all the protests of the bitch babies. Let’s show those little ungrateful sons of bitches what we risked so they can run up and down the street and play PlayStation 4 war games or whatever they want to call them. Let’s also show them what they will really gonna face if they choose to escalate this beyond our control.” Smocks says in the video.
Smocks has never served in the Army. In fact, court records show Smocks has been convicted of impersonating agents from the FBI, the ATF and the Secret Service. He also has been convicted of producing false identification for the Army and to support claims that he was a licensed pilot.
The sentencing date was not set, although U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan indicated it will probably take place the middle of next month.
“Pursuant to the plea agreement, the government and the defense estimate it will either be a range of 8-14 months or 10-16 months, depending on the court's final criminal history calculation,” said John Machado, the attorney representing Smocks.
The Dallas resident was arrested earlier this year and transferred to the Washington D.C. area, where he has been detained.
The affidavit says Smocks had purchased a plane ticket to fly to a foreign country on January 15, 2021, four days before the rally he urged veterans to attend.
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