A former employee for the right-wing website Infowars has been sentenced to three years of probation for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Samuel Christopher Montoya, 37, of Texas, was credited as a video editor for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ website at the time of the Capitol attack, court filings shared.
A 44-minute video captured Montoya’s movements on the day of the riot, showing him describe himself as a “reporter” and “journalist” to those around him. Footage captured by Montoya also depicted the death of Ashli Babbitt, who was killed during the attack by police officers.
Montoya won’t only have three years of probation, but he is also being ordered to pay a fine of $1,500 and $500 in restitution, documents say.
Last month prosecutors recommended that Montoya — who was initially identified and arrested in April 2021 and pled guilty to charges brought against him last November — be sentenced to 45 days in prison, 36 months of probation, and pay $500 in restitution.
Montoya had been charged with a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol, charges that carry a maximum of six months in prison.
Video recorded by Montoya for Infowars showed him identifying himself as “Sam with Inforwars.com” during the attack, as well as saying, “It feels good to be in the Capitol, baby,” court documents say.
A court filing from Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Loeb last month noted the involvement of Montoya’s boss at the time, saying Jones only bolstered former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the election was “stolen.”
However, the well-known conspiracy theorist has also claimed he never told Montoya to travel to Washington, D.C., maintaining he did so by himself.
“Jones said that Montoya went to D.C. on his own and that Jones had instructed his staff not to go inside the U.S. Capitol,” Loeb wrote.
The filing also notes that “instead of showing remorse” for his actions, Montoya attempted to “capitalize” on his involvement by launching an “unsuccessful” campaign for the House of Representatives during the 2022 midterm elections.
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